{ "title": "Chesed LeAvraham", "language": "en", "versionTitle": "merged", "versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org/Chesed_LeAvraham", "text": { "Introduction": [], "Even Shetiya": { "Maayan 1": [ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "To explain the attire of angels upon their descent to the material world and how they manifest visually:", "It is said that there is a faction among researchers regarding demons who completely deny their existence, and this is the deceptive faction. However, there is another faction that believes in the existence of demons and claims that they are composed of two fundamental elements: fire and air. Ramban, may his memory be blessed, extensively discussed this in the chapter Acharei Mot. Just as demons are sometimes visible and known to certain people, angels, whose essence is the simple soul, descend to the lower world through the foundation of fire and air. They clothe themselves in a body composed of the two fundamental elements: fire and air. This garment is a subtle clothing visible to the discerning eye, resembling a material object.Upon their departure from the material world, these two fundamental elements will separate, with the spiritual soul ascending to its place. The spiritual fire within that material garment is a fire that consumes and contracts within that same attire, which will be inhabited by the four fundamental elements. It will not burn because of the screen constituted by these two elements within it." ] ], "Maayan 2": [ [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [], [ "\"River of Power\" - Regarding the matter of engaging in Torah without understanding and without inquiry:", "Know that if you are engaged in Torah all your days without understanding it, merely reading it, then in this, you consume the grain with its husk and the brain with the kelipah (skull). The intricacies of the Halacha are like shells, and you are obligated to question and break the shells, extract the kernel, and resolve and scrutinize the word to understand its hidden meaning. Concerning one who delves deeply into the Torah, it is said, \"He will make it up to the one who waits for Him,\" as mentioned in the Zohar. To engage in the Torah in this way without understanding is a mixture of holy and secular, and about this, it is stated, \"And he does not increase; then shall he die,\" meaning that one who has the ability to analyze the Torah and does not do so is held responsible for supporting the shells and leaving them standing.", "The matter to understand is that the Torah is the essence of the emanation that spreads, and it is the Divine discovery through which a person cleaves to God. The soul thus adheres to the true life's light, i.e., cleaving to His Divinity in this world and in the World to Come. This is why the verse says, \"And you who cleave to the Lord your God, you are all alive today,\" even today, in this world, and certainly in the World to Come. The attachment requires that there be no screen that separates between you and His Torah. Since you examine His Torah and it is distant from your understanding, hidden from you by difficulties, which are the shells covering the Torah and hiding it from the eye of your intellect, behold, the shells are an \"iron curtain\" between you and it. Therefore, if the desire for love is rooted in your heart to cleave to Him, you must seek out the obstacles to break and annul them, and cleave to the concealed Torah within those shells. One who does this is indeed attached to the utmost level of attachment. This is the great separation that brings you closer to God, without a partition separating you from His Torah. Even if you do so, when you separate your thoughts from the Torah and from studying it, you are immediately considered like one of the other people regarding cleaving to God, because your cleaving to Him only occurs when you think about His Torah. However, if you separate your thoughts from it, then the shells are readily available to be found between you and Him. This is why our Sages prohibited a Torah scholar from standing in an unclean place. This is so that he does not separate his thoughts because at that time, when he speaks with the Torah, it is prohibited to separate his thoughts. The thought in the Torah is there. In the interpretation, they explained that in the act of the Torah of Rabbi Khiya, which refers to the Torah scholar, as in such a case, the thoughts in the bathroom will be considered his degradation and the disgrace of his body. Who are you to boast about this? In truth, you indeed humble the shells and everything to be attached to sanctity and to His Divinity, and the outsiders should not separate between you and the attachment.", "Especially when a person enters the realm of holiness and seeks the wonderful attachment through the study of Torah, he should consider that his sins cause him, God forbid, many obstacles and difficulties. The person needs to strengthen himself against these challenges to overcome them so that they do not separate him from his Creator. According to the explanation in the Tikkunim, when a person sees that the difficulties become strong before him in halachic matters, he should understand that they are the shells that create separation between him and his Creator. He should recognize that his own sins have caused these difficulties. Then, he should strengthen himself through repentance, engagement in the commandments, acts of charity, constant study, and then he will gain understanding.", "When a person reviews and engages with a matter, repeatedly studying and contemplating it many times, this is the cause for breaking the shells. This is because the Torah, in the secret of \"Bil Peh,\" is comprised of the actual letters fixed in a person's mouth, which materialize in the air and ascend from the realm of \"Ayin\" to \"Yesh.\" Through this ascent, which connects to its root, it is beyond doubt that these letters ascend, cleave the air, open upward, and adhere to the one engaging in the Divine, bestowing understanding and precision. Thus, the person grasps that which was not initially within their capacity to understand. This is simple, and this is the meaning." ], [ "River 29 - To explain the divisions of the Torah", "The concept here is that there are two parts in the Torah. One is the secret of Atzilut (Emanation), which encompasses the realm of Malchut and above. The other is the secret of Creation, Formation, and Action. Now, as for the secret of the Torah, in the realm of Malchut and above, a person has no ability to add anything to it. The only place for addition is in the secret of Renewed Prophecy, which emerges in the prophets who reveal its secrets. This is not dependent on the majority but rather follows the Higher Kabbalah (Kaballah HaElionah). They oversee the Bat Kol (heavenly voice), which is the Malchut (Kingdom) in its secrets, and the matter depends on it. A person has no right to add anything contrary to the Kabbalah, except through a prophet and according to the heavenly voice, as was the case with Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his colleagues who descended to the Merkavah (Chariot) and comprehended hidden matters in the secrets [according to the tradition of compiling of the text of the Zohar].", "Indeed, the Torah, which pertains to the three worlds in the realm of Beri'ah (Creation), is entrusted to the lower realms, from the right and from the left. In Beri'ah, there is the secret of the Hall of Hewn Stone, where the Sanhedrin of seventy is located, and everything depends on the majority there. Therefore, concerning this aspect of the Torah in Beri'ah, it is written: \"If a matter is too difficult for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between judgment and judgment, or between lesion and lesion, matters of dispute in your cities, then you shall rise up and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses.\" (Deuteronomy 17:8). When there is doubt about one of these judgments, all the sages of Israel shall gather, and they shall adjudicate according to the majority, for the matter depends on this. They do not rely on the supervision of a Bat Kol, but rather on the Torah of Atzilut, where all the decrees are not based on the majority, but everything depends on the decree of the Holy One, blessed be He.", "Furthermore, there is another distinction, and that is that the Torah in Beri'ah (Creation) lacks the power to nullify any arguments at all. The reason for this is that the disagreement is the secret of the hard shell (kelipah), and the kelipah has the power to ascend in all three worlds of Beri'ah. Likewise, regarding the secret of exile, it is said in Tikunei HaZohar 146, that this is because there is no power to resolve the disagreements and to clarify the coarseness. It is said, \"A question to so-and-so (piloni) is a question,\" even though his words are the words of the living God [true judgments handed down by the Sanhedrein are still questioned due to extraneous forces]. ", "Nevertheless, there, the kelipah strengthens itself, and there is no power to nullify it at all. However, from the side of the Daughter of the King, which is the Torah of Atzilut, it is said, \"I am the Lord, that is My name,\" and there is no difficulty or Talmud Tikunim 146 at all in it, as it has the power to nullify the kelipah." ], [ "", "The order of study is as follows: The Scriptures are divided into three parts – Torah, Prophets, and Writings. Then comes the Mishnah, and the Beraisa, and the Tosefta, which is the Oral Torah. After that, there is the Book of the Torah of the Kohanim, which contains 22 chapters, corresponding to the 22 words in the Ten Commandments. One who merits and engages with this book is blessed with blessings corresponding to the number of its sections, and it is considered as if they fulfilled the entire Torah. The Almighty guards them at all times and in all places. Next is the fourth level, which includes the Talmud Yerushalmi, Talmud Bavli, the Midrashim, and the Aggadot. Then, the fifth level is Kabbalah, which includes the work of Creation (Ma'Aseh Breisheit), the work of the Chariot (Ma'Aseh Merkavah), the measurement of the stature (Sh'iur Komah), and the Throne of Glory (Kisei HaKavod).", "Know that anyone who delves into Aggadah has the power to forgive all the sins of the people of Israel. Furthermore, if one adds and says the Kaddish over the Aggadah, all their sins are forgiven, even if the decree of judgment has been sealed. The Holy One, blessed be He, forgives and atones for their sins. Likewise, one who listens to a discourse from the mouth of a wise person in the wisdom of Kabbalah, which is called Aggadah, will have all their sins forgiven.", "Know that the Name Yud-Hei of the Aleph-Bet, which is attained from the first level of study, the Scripture, grants the soul inclusion of six sparks, signifying the complete letter Aleph. One who attains the Scripture and the Mishnah obtains the comprehension of the soul and spirit. The soul includes six of the 7 sparks, while the spirit includes 13 sparks, symbolizing the numerical value of the Aleph-Vav, alluding to the Torah.", "Among them all, there are 19 sparks. One who also reaches the level of the third, which is the wisdom of Aggadah, hinted at in Bina, the first Aleph, attains the completeness of the soul, composed of 40 sparks, corresponding to the numerical value of the Aleph, and among them are 25 sparks.", "One who attains the level of the fourth, which is the completeness of the true wisdom, attains the soul of the soul, which includes 20 sparks, corresponding to the numerical value of Yud, signifying the attribute of wisdom. Among them all, there are 45 sparks, as is the secret of Adam, Man, representing the name Yud-Hei of the 45 sparks, and you shall know this from which reason he is called Adam. This is the secret of the letter Mem-Shin-Lamed. From the book of handwritten notes." ], [ "", "The matter, according to how a person draws near to the service, is that one attaches to the secret of eternal life. If they attach themselves to the primary level of the Scripture, they will connect to the secret of the Spirit of the Lord clothed in the wheels (Ophanim). If they attach to the secondary level of the Mishnah, they will connect to the secret of eternal life clothed in the living beings (Chaiyot). If they attach to the tertiary level of the Talmud, they will connect to the soul of the Lord [the first] that manifests within the Seraphim. This is the secret that a person should \"sell all that they have\" and take a daughter of a Torah scholar, for this commandment has no measure, for it is the vessel to cleave to the Lord and draw near to Him, and thus it has no measure. Therefore, all of one's possessions will not be compared to it, and therefore, one should \"sell all that they have\" and take a daughter of a Torah scholar, for from her, they will attach. This is the commandment \"and cleave to Him,\" as mentioned earlier. It is known that one cannot cleave to the soul except through the spirit, and not even with the spirit except through the soul. Therefore, our Sages said that one who cannot find a daughter of a Torah scholar should marry the daughter of schoolteachers, who are from the primary level of the Scripture. Similarly, the daughter of charity collectors who possess a soul. In this manner, they should diligently pursue until they attach as much as possible. The reason is that a person can only draw the eternal life through their attachment to the Almighty, as in, \"You that cleave unto the Lord your God, you are alive everyone of you this day.\" (Deuteronomy 4:4) According to how one attaches, so they merit eternal life.", "The matter is that a person possesses free will and choice. If they improve their actions and reach the primary level of the Scripture, they will merit the soul, and behold, the life that clothes itself in them from the level of the Wheels. If they further merit to be from the secondary level of the Mishnah, they will ascend to the level of the Living Beings. If they then also merit the tertiary level of the Talmud, they will ascend to the level of the Seraphim, having the life clothed in them from the level of the Seraphim.", "When they further merit to be from the primary level of Kabbalah, from the concealed Torah, they will ascend to the level of Atzilut (Emanation) and merit the lights of Atzilut. All of this is conditioned upon their actions surpassing their wisdom. On this matter, it is said, \"And you that cleave unto the Lord your God, you are alive everyone of you this day.\" When you cleave to the Lord, the life spreads throughout every part of you. This means all your parts, in your body, soul, spirit, and your very essence. This is the secret of \"you are alive everyone of you this day.\" This is the secret." ], [ "", "The matter is that the Torah scholar, known as the \"son who serves his father\" but does not do so for the purpose of receiving reward and merit for fulfilling the commandments in this world. Furthermore, what is more, the side of Atzilut (Emanation) does not become corporeal at all, and therefore, in the physical world, it has nothing.", "So what does the common person do? They make themselves a vessel and garment for the Torah scholar from the food and drink they provide. The reason is that the common person has no other reward to their credit. Since they are righteous, they are not credited with anything. On Shabbat, when they do not cook any physical food, it is a spiritual day, not a physical one, and they do not engage in physical needs. The matter is that the additional soul that the common person has on Shabbat is what the Torah scholar has on weekdays. The reason is that they are together on Shabbat at a time when the father has an additional soul. In the usage that they participate in together, they both share the additional soul of Shabbat, as mentioned in the Zohar Terumah 146, in such a way that the Torah scholar always has an additional soul, and on Shabbat, they have twice as much.", "If a common person is generous with their wealth to provide food, clothing, and all the needs of the Torah scholar on Shabbat, they will receive their words in Torah and behave in the statutes of the Torah like their peers. In their merit, they will be saved from the Angel of Death, so the Satan will not have dominion over them, and they will be saved from Gehinnom, the defective sword, as the righteous die by a precise sword, which is the side of holiness. Therefore, they draw near to the offering upon the altar above, the secret of the \"Elevation Offerings of Israel,\" and their prayer is quickly accepted with love, and so on. This is the secret." ], [ "River 33 - To reveal the secret of receiving the countenance of one's teacher, the secret of the vision of the pilgrimage, the secret of the vision of the Torah scroll, and the secret of the vision of the land of Israel.", "It is worth knowing the virtue of one who views the Land of Israel from a distance, even if they do not enter it, as the Scripture states, \"If a man sees among these men the land, etc.\" It seems that the act of seeing has its merit, and furthermore, our teacher Moses, may peace be upon him, was granted a great elevation, close to his death, when he saw the land, as it is written, \"So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor; but no man knows of his sepulcher unto this day. And Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; so the days of weeping in the mourning for Moses were ended.\" (Deuteronomy 34:5) This teaches us that there is some elevation even for one who sees it, even if they do not enter it.", "The matter will be understood from what was explained in the Zohar regarding the verse \"And Joseph shall place his hand upon your eyes\" in Parshat Vayelech (Genesis 46:4). The eyes are the gateway to the mental images resembling intellect. Firstly, one envisions that thing in their mind and intellect. And behold, that image is formed there. If the image is of inferior things, then the intellect should approach and lower it from its exalted state. This is the prohibition of gazing at women and forbidden sexual matters, because even if one does not consciously intend to commit a sin, eventually he will form that image in his mind and contemplate that which is improper, even if he does not engage in any negative action. The reason is that the image formed in one's mind will either corrupt the soul or refine it if it is a good image. It will lead to several good aspects in the context of spiritual work. Therefore, when a person envisions a holy image in his mind, that holy image, when contemplated, will perfect his intellect. This is the meaning of Rabbi Aba in Parshat Mishpatim, where the form of Rabbi Shimon appeared before him, and he achieved great insights as a result. This is the meaning of \"And your eyes shall behold your teacher,\" and this is the reason why it is said, \"Do not turn to idols,\" because it is forbidden to gaze at idolatry, for that degrading image corrupts the intellect. This is the reason it is said, \"Do not gaze at the face of an evil person.\" (Megillah 28A) ", "And not only that, but also when the form of a person is depicted in the honored intellect, he will attain great and wonderful elevation. This is the reason why our sages said that a person must receive the countenance of his teacher by standing in his place [metaphorically speaking], as he will envision himself in the intellect of his teacher. This is what our sages explained regarding the verse, \"As the Lord your God lives, before whom I stood,\" meaning that he stood before Elijah his teacher. When one stands before Elijah, he will undoubtedly envision his own form in the mind of Elijah. And as Elijah stands and serves before his Creator, due to his intense connection with prophecy, he is found continually standing before the Lord, and the same applies to many others. This is the reason for the verse, \"Your sons shall see the face of the Lord, my God,\" among other interpretations, for one will form the image of the male [Eli'ahu] in his mind and find it within the Shekhinah standing there. Even though the Divine Providence is everywhere, nevertheless, one should not isolate themselves to engrave their form in the Shekhinah, as they would when appearing in a holy place. This is the meaning of \"And you shall not see My face in vain,\"(Isaiah 45:19) and this is likewise significant in the Torah.", "When a person sees their beloved, undoubtedly, they will acquire great joy in their soul, and their forms will be engraved in each other, and one in the other, due to their deep love. They will establish the image of their beloved in their intellect and their joy and love will increase. Conversely, it is the opposite with hatred. This is the reason for the prohibition \"Do not see the face of evil.\" Similarly, this is the reason for the verse, \"If a man sees among these men the land,\" because after they spoke negatively about the land and hated it, it is not appropriate that their forms be engraved in it, so that they won't have the opportunity to see its beauty and spirituality. For the same reason, their forms should not be engraved within them because they hate, so that they won't arouse hatred in a place of love.", "However, this was not the case with our teacher Moses, peace be upon him. Instead, \"And the Lord showed him all the land.\" The Zohar in Parshat Bereshit explains why Moses was able to see all of this, as it is impossible to comprehend all of this through physical sight. It is explained that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him with the primordial light concealed since the six days of Creation, in which one could see from the beginning of the world to the end of it. Now, with this introduction, we will further understand what is shown in the text of the Torah to the people. This matter is also done in the Heavenly Temple, as mentioned in the Zohar in Parshat Balak." ], [ "The concept is that the souls in the Garden of Eden bring concise teachings from the upper levels, which are brief like \"Mishnah.\" Afterward, they expound with explanations, like the Talmud. This is their give and take. Those who wander with their intellect in the comprehension of these matters in this world through their learning will then understand more in the world to come and will become the head of a yeshiva for many who did not succeed as he did. This is the meaning of the beginning of the statement in the Zohar." ], [ "River 35 - to explain the secret that a wise person is superior to a prophet", "The matter is that prophecy for the prophets emanates from the lower two sefirot, Netzach and Hod, which are eternity and glory. It is known that when a prophet experiences prophecy, all his faculties and senses are nullified, and he has no ability to comprehend through the vision of prophecy except for what is designated for him from above. At that moment, his mind is not directed towards questioning or challenging why this or why that. Rather, it aligns itself with the Divine will overflowing upon him during his prophecy. The investigative choice is taken away from him, and he almost lacks cognitive faculties at that moment, only to understand the specific matter. However, he will not scrutinize it.", "This is unlike the wise person who possesses knowledge and understanding and chooses to investigate a matter using his selected intellect. The reason for this distinction is that the role of the wise person is an addition from above to prophecy, as prophecy originates from the lower two sefirot, as mentioned earlier. The wisdom of the wise person, rooted in the secrets of Binah, Chochmah, and Da'at, surpasses the knowledge found in prophecy. Therefore, the insight that the wise person attains in the realm of divinity is more distinguished in these aspects than the insight attained by the prophet. Even though the prophet may see and comprehend \"eye to eye,\" the heart perceives much wisdom and knowledge, meaning intellectual and thoughtful capacity, much more than prophecy. The reason is that the scheming of the wise person and his choice are in his hands to consult and investigate according to his understanding. This is not the case with the prophet, as his choice is nullified during his prophecy.", "Another reason is that the soul of Moses, our teacher, may peace be upon him, whose rank is higher than all the prophets, spreads into the souls of righteous and wise individuals clothed in the physical body in the lower world. The abundance of his wisdom spreads in them like the radiance of the sun spreading among the stars. Through the power of Moses, peace be upon him, they comprehend and renew in Torah." ], [ "River 36 - In the secret of our sages, that each individual from the people of Israel has a share in the Torah and in the level of our teacher Moses, may peace be upon him.", "Afterward, as previously mentioned, since the klipot (impure forces) create a separation between a person and the Torah, which is essentially between a person and the divine, it is fitting to say that the one who is more attached is the one who is more discerning. Accordingly, Moses, our teacher, may peace be upon him, who was more attached to divinity, comprehended more in the Torah than anyone in the world. As he is the teacher for all of Israel in general and for all the prophets, it is appropriate to say that what Moses, our teacher, innovated in the Torah is what we renew, and there is nothing new in it that he did not know through the goodness of his intellect. This is the intention of our sages when they say, \"Even what an experienced student will innovate in the future was already said to Moses, our teacher, may peace be upon him.\" ", "Indeed, it is true that if Moses, our teacher, may peace be upon him, wanted to reveal to us the Merkavah (Divine chariot) and much more, he would have innovated for us more and more than Ezekiel the prophet. However, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to Moses, our teacher, may peace be upon him, and said to him, \"Know that a prophet will arise for Israel from such and such a family, and this is his prophecy, and from your strength and influence, he will prophesy thus and thus.\" But He did not give Moses, our teacher, may peace be upon him, permission to reveal that secret until Ezekiel came and revealed it to us through him. All of this pertains to the entire Torah, which we renew in it, including the explanations, laws, and resolving difficulties, as there is a time for every desire. This is similar to the Song of Songs, which was revealed by Solomon the King, may peace be upon him, during the construction of the Temple, and the like.", "The secret in this is that it is known that the Torah, the souls, and time are the sefirot that revolve upwards in one matter and share one attribution. For time is the secret of the rotation of the sefirot, with a certain count of sefirot during the day, a different count during the night, and another count on the Sabbath. The time from the creation of the world until the rotation of the sefirot is not the time that continues to revolve; rather, it is only new aspects, as the order of times has no end. According to this, the secret of the Torah is that even if all the righteous of the world, both in this world and in the world to come, were to stand from the time of the first man's birth until now, they would forever increase knowledge on top of their existing knowledge, gaining more and more. They will continue to gain and progress in understanding, with no limit, as it has no end. This is the breadth of Your commandments. Therefore, the secret of the souls is that there is no limit to their reincarnation, and they continuously emerge and renew. Each soul brings a unique aspect of the Torah, as every soul is superior from a known perspective, from a perspective without end.", "As the righteous engage in Torah, teaching and sharing, 'This part of the Torah is renewed in this way, and that part is renewed in another way,' the higher aspects and the light of one soul unite with another. This is the supreme perfection, beyond which there is nothing higher. It is the unity and connection of the chambers in the sefirot. This aligns with the saying of our sages that 'a word said in the name of its speaker brings redemption to the world,' as it truly illuminates that aspect, revealing the source and adding to the Torah and unity.", "It is known that one will not find in the branch what is not found in the root. After this is established, one may wonder why this light is not revealed through the root, which is from Moshe our teacher, peace be upon him, but rather it is revealed through a specific branch and not another. The reason is that there is a relation between that light and its revelation through that specific branch, and it will not be revealed through another. Just as all the secrets are included in the TaT (Talmud Torah, study of Torah), which is the essence of the Torah, and spread from it through the secret of the branches, revealing through a specific branch, the same applies to the Torah in the secret of the souls.", "The soul of Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him, encompasses everything and is revealed through a specific soul, revealing a specific aspect. Everything is revealed through the soul of Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him, which is the root of the higher aspects. When a certain soul, dependent on a specific branch, reveals a certain secret at a certain time, it is revealed through that specific branch. Everything is revealed through the root, which is Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him, the TaT, and the time of the giving of the Torah. At that time, the Torah's secret and the TaT spread and reveal as a whole. Thus, it becomes clear that nothing is renewed in the Torah that is not revealed through Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him.\"\n" ], [ "Regarding the explanation of the secret of the influence of the soul of Moses, peace be upon him, and its appearance in the souls of the wise disciples:", "Even in our time, the soul of Moses, may he rest in peace, spreads within the souls, illuminates them, and imparts the secret of the Torah. Although he is concealed and clothed in the secret of exile, he illuminates the souls of the living with the secret of his vitality and the light of his Torah, which spreads and branches out in all souls.", "The concept is that the kingship of Moses, peace be upon him, over Israel is spiritual, like the soul's dominion over the body, just as the soul reigns over the body, spreading to all its organs, and no limb moves without its energy. Similarly, the soul of Moses will radiate into the soul of Israel, who are like one body. Just as the moon's light is the sun's light, the light of the Torah that illuminates the disciples, even in these generations, is the light of the Torah of Moses, peace be upon him. That is why we call him 'our Rabbi.'", "However, the flow and light from Moses, peace be upon him, to the disciples is not like the moon or stars that shine directly from the sun. Rather, it is through various intermediaries, similar to the way a tree draws moisture through its roots. This means that Moses, peace be upon him, illuminated in the generations of the wilderness and the speaking generations, and the children of the children after them. So, generation after generation, the light reached all those who were alive at the time." ], [ "Nahar 38 - Revealing the secret of performing the commandments in the time of exile:", "The matter is that during the exile, the light of the commandments of Israel does not shine as it should. But in the time of redemption, the commandments will shine, bringing joy to those who mourn over them. The light of all the commandments, which is found and concealed in their performance, remains hidden until the time of the Final Redemption." ], [ ".Nahar 39 - Differentiating among people in the performance of the commandments:", "The concept is that people are distinguished concerning the Torah in three aspects:The first is the one who engages in the Torah deeply, delving into it and knowing the sources of the law independently without relying on others' opinions. He is in the secret of Atzilut, and his soul is from Atzilut. He is called a son and not a servant because he studies the Torah for its sake, not for the sake of reward.The second is the one who does not know much about the Torah but relies on the rulings and practices taught to them by the sages. They respond with \"We will do, and we will hear.\" They are in the secret of servants, and their source is the \"face of the moon\" receiving from the \"sun.\"", "The third is the person who is an \"Am Haaretz,\" lacking in Torah knowledge and behaving shamefully, much like the nations of the world. His soul comes from the external aspects, and these three levels correspond to the secrets of Atzilut, Beriah, and the external worlds.", "Know that prayer and the commandment, which involves Torah study, are unique because nothing is higher than them. Engaging in the Torah atones for sin and keeps a person from sinning. It also teaches the path of service. Moreover, when one performs these actions with intention and deep understanding, they have a different quality from lifeless physical bodies without souls.\"" ], [ "Nahar 40 - Explaining that the commandments change according to the one performing them:", "The concept is that, just as a person's understanding of Torah and the Elokut (Godly realms) corresponds to the rungs [of the spiritual ladder], each person grasps according to the subtlety of their soul. Some do not grasp as much because their soul is not on that level. Similarly, the secret of the performance of the commandments ascends or descends according to the specific individual, taking into account the fineness or coarseness of how the commandment is fulfilled.", "As an example, the commandment of Tefillin may result in a throne within the body of a righteous individual and a chariot for the Holy One, blessed be He, with the secret of the Tefillin of the head, and a chariot for the Divine Presence with the secret of the Tefillin of the arm. However, common people subdue the evil inclination with the secret of Tefillin but cannot create a throne and chariot for the Divine Presence, as mentioned in the Zohar in Parshat Pinchas. The same applies to other commandments." ], [ "Nahar 41 - Explaining the secret of blessings and their influence:", "The concept is that the soul serves as a ladder for blessings to ascend from below to above, in the manner of Atzilut (the highest of the spiritual realms). It is also a ladder for blessings to descend from above to below through Atzilut. Therefore, in all instances, blessings are like a throne and foundation. If in Atzilut, they emanate from the level of the soul in Atzilut, spreading from there to all the lower realms. If in Beriyah (the second spiritual world), they come from the level of the soul. In Yetzirah (the third spiritual world), they come from the spirit (Ruach), and in Asiyah (the fourth spiritual world), they come from the Nefesh of Asiyah.", "In the material world (Gashmiut), it serves as a throne and foundation for those blessings that lead to an influence. From there, it bestows upon all those who receive. Blessings do not precede this realm. They originate in the secret of Atzilut, from a place that cannot be grasped, and from there, through the secret of the soul, as mentioned earlier, they enter. Regarding what descends upon the soul, spirit, and Nefesh, it pertains to the adornments and garments for the World to Come. As for what descends upon the body, it relates to eating fruits in this world.\"" ], [ "Nahar 42 - To explain the deficiency of one who enjoys without a blessing and the deficiency of one who worships idolatry:", "It is already known that everything in the world is found and exists, along with all its particulars, its trees, its organs, its sections, through the power of letters, as mentioned in the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation). Everything is found and exists within the thirty-two paths of wisdom, in the ten utterances (Sefirot) in the secret of Keter (crown), and in the One complete unity. It is all operated by Chochmah (wisdom), through Binah (understanding), and by the Tifferet (beauty), and through the Malchut (kingdom). Similarly, all the existences extend downward, even the smallest blade of grass, from its root to its core, its branches and its flowers, its buds, and the various colors of its flowers, its size, length, width, squareness, and roundness. Everything depends on the supreme hint according to the strength of one's grasp on their task. Their task in the angels and the angels in their roots, their roots in the Sefirot, and the Sefirot in the Ein Sof (infinite)", "The enjoyment of a person in this world, without making a blessing, actually causes a transformation in the grass, as it shifts from below to above, because its creation was from above to below. However, due to a person's un-blessed enjoyment, it ascends from below to above in the secret of the transformation of lightWhen a person pours his strength and moisture into the service of his Creator through eating, this ascends all the way to Ein Sof (the infinite), connected through the Sefirot, with joy and the service of this righteous personThe wicked person who derives pleasure without a blessing brings this holy thing down to impurity, which doesn't ascend to the higher realms. Instead, it descends to the place of the outside, without a blessing, and it goes down to the unholy.Likewise, a descendent of a descendent of Cain, who actually takes a tree, or a plant, or fruit and offers it to idol worship, for what was sanctified in holiness and is connected to the Creator, since by the link of the descending worlds, there is nothing separate from it. Its light pierces and descends through the chain of creation to a lower state. This plant will become either living, growing, or dormant. That's why anyone who commits this sin, taking a tree or fruit and offering it in idol worship, sins greatly, beyond what the mouth can utter.This is what is meant by 'You shall not make idols of silver.' In this case, one's unity and the hint of his Sefirot are included in the existence of creation, and silver signifies Chesed (kindness) and gold signifies Gevurah (severity). Those who engage in idol worship actually perform an upper-level hint and tarnish these attributes. That's why it says, 'For you shall not make with Me gods of silver' because if you make gods of silver, I, as it were, will make them, for My energy is bound to them to some extent, and they are the ones who cause Me to sin. This is the meaning of 'you shall not make gods of silver,' as mentioned.\"", "And know that in the Zohar on Parshat Pekudei, they said that one who enjoys without a blessing decreases the blessings. The concept here is that when a person blesses, they cause blessings to flow from the upper source to the Tiferet, and the Malchut. This person enjoys the higher blessing but diminishes the creation from the lower creations from what he consumes. He diminishes the upper power that flows and bestows to all the lower creations. When he consumes and consumes them and burns them, he withholds that power from the world. The angel or force that is in charge of him becomes void and empty. Therefore, one must draw blessings before eating. One increases the upper abundance against what he somewhat diminishes in the consumption. The ministering angel that oversees what he eats is filled with this abundance to enhance the creation once again. One who enjoys without a blessing steals from the Tiferet and the Malchut, from two aspects. One is when he consumes creatures in whom their spirituality is strong, and the ministering angel is appointed over them. The second is that he should have drawn a blessing, and he diminishes the order of the blessing from above. For this, he is affiliated with the destructive man and completes the wicked person, as mentioned in the Zohar Pekudei", "And that is why all the actions of the nations, from vegetation in their fields to every creature, are not affiliated with holiness. Because they themselves are separate and distant from the blessed God, as it is said, 'When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,' etc. Therefore, utensils of the nations require immersion, among other matters. Their grain is exempt from tithing, like our grain is considered external. Similarly, their dough is exempt from the obligation of taking challah, like the dough of our dogs. Holiness does not extend to them at all, and the Supernal Light does not shine upon them. This is why only Israel is affected above, and they are included in 'You shall not offer anything that has a blemish' (Deuteronomy 17:1), whereas the nations of the world have no part in holiness, neither them nor their acquisitions. This matter will be rectified in the secret of 'For then I will turn to the peoples.' This means that His name will then be magnified and sanctified, for His name will be magnified and extend to all that exists. And this is what it says: 'I will sanctify My great name which was profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst, and the nations shall know that I am the Lord.' (Ezekiel 36:23).\"" ], [ " the secret of receiving the prayers of the righteous...", " Every mitzvah a person performs causes a specific upper limb and known chamber to be united above. The reward of each action is one specific matter, which cannot be achieved through the performance of another mitzvah. Therefore, when a person performs one physical mitzvah in the material world using a known limb, such as the tefillin of the head, through his thought, he affects the world of Atzilut through the limb of the head in the secret of the soul. Through speech, he influences the world of Beriyah, the secret of the Throne of Glory, with the name known specifically as with tefillin where the secret of the name Eheyeh is connected. Through physical action, he accomplishes and influences the world of Yetzirah, which is the secret of the angels attached to the name Eheyeh, as they allude to the secret of the head, and the reward of the mitzvah is below, similar to it.", "The matter is that if a person is careful in a known mitzvah, the angels known to that mitzvah will join him to safeguard it. And if the power of the supernal influence is in the secret of the rain, and that person goes before the ark in the year of 'Betzur' as in the form of the Holy Temple, those angels will hasten to him to receive his prayer above. They will answer quickly, something that will not happen with another person, even if he is more righteous than him. And even if he has a unique spiritual advantage for a particular request, it will not help him for other difficult prayers, because he does not have the same level of vigilance and swiftness in the mitzvah attached to that particular limb where the matter of receiving his request lies. This is the secret of 'Atmachi Gavra, Atmachi Qamia." ], [ "To explain the types of prayers and the intention in the Kavanah:", "The matter is that prayer, which is the service of the heart, has two aspects. The first is the secret of drawing down influence to the Divine Kingdom and bestowing it. When one serves in this manner, their intention in their prayer and blessings is not directed toward material things but rather toward providing nourishment for the Divine Presence and adorning it. Regarding this, it is said (Avot 1:3): \"Do not be like servants who serve the master in order to receive a reward. Such a prayer is not received by Metatron, who is an angel of the lower material governance and the reception of material influence. This prayer, which lacks a material component, is not like a servant's work but more like a child serving their father without expecting a reward. Therefore, it is not accepted by Metatron but rather by Yesod (the Foundation).However, what our Sages explained, that a person should be like a servant who arranges praise before their master, relates to a person who serves in their prayers in the manner mentioned above, with a material intention, in order to receive a reward. That's why this prayer is called a \"hired worker,\" and the hired worker is Metatron, who is hired for the governance of the lower realms. The reward for this is the prayer, for the lower governance to receive influence. That is why it is the one who accepts this prayer, as mentioned.", "However, the concept of intention in prayer is that a person, through the progression of their soul from one level to another, connects to the holy chain of spirituality from above. This progression of the soul should be like a ladder on which the awakening of their deeds rises until the upper Sephirot merge with them. From there, blessing flows through the Sephirot from the first to the last, reaching the lower levels. In this way, it descends along the mentioned ladder. The extent of the awakening and the preparation of deeds determines the expansion of the channel and the revelation of the upper influence. However, the degree of light that flows through one individual will not be the same as that which flows through another. Likewise, the blemish caused by one person will not be equivalent to that caused by another. Moreover, one individual cannot rectify the blemish caused by someone else, and only that person can make amends through repentance or spiritual cycles The meaning of the saying from our sages that God is meticulous with the righteous as fine as a hair is evident. When the righteous person refrains from performing one of the commandments, the great outpouring of light destined to come through them diminishes considerably due to their omission. However, even if they refrain from a seemingly minor act, the light and abundance they would receive through it will be much less. The contrast is significant. The blemish made by the righteous, given their elevated spiritual state, differs from the blemish made by an ordinary person whose spiritual station is much lower.", "However, there is a significant difference between the intention of learned individuals and that of the common people when it comes to the progression of souls. For the wise person, when their good intentions align with the stages of the spiritual ladder, their soul ascends from one level to another, from one reason to another, and from one height to another. This continuous progression leads them to approach and connect with the source of life. Through this connection, abundant blessings are drawn, and they become a place, a seat, and a conduit for divine influence, which they then share with the whole world, as mentioned in the Zohar, Parshat Terumah. This ultimately results in the Shekhinah, the divine presence, uniting with them. However, one who simply focuses on the external aspects of prayer, without understanding its esoteric secrets, will not attain the privilege of beholding the divine presence. Even if they receive some divine response, it will be as if they are answered indirectly, not directly experiencing the divine presence. Therefore, the understanding of the essential focus in prayer is that the individual must draw spirituality from the higher levels to the letters they recite. By doing so, they enable these letters to ascend to the highest level, arousing and fulfilling their request. The intention is that nothing is void in the individual; everything has spiritual significance. It's essential to draw the higher spiritual power to help the letters ascend to their desired level, thus elevating their prayer to a sublime place and expediting its fulfillment.", "", "Indeed, in the general context of prayer, one should focus on aligning the voice in the recitation (Tevorat Hashem) and the speech in the praise (Malchut), which represent the Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey (Adonai). The intention should be that these two aspects converge in a united manner, indicating the sacred name Yud-Alef-Hey-Dalet-Vav-Nun-Hey, which alludes to the unity of both. Furthermore, one should also intend that the voice and speech encompass fire, water, and air. Through the combination of these three elements, representing the secret of Chesed-Gevurah-Tiferet, the uniqueness is achieved, as it is known that the voice consists of a combination of fire, water, and air.", "Additionally, it is fitting to direct one's intentions in each prayer according to the dominant quality of that time, whether it be morning, afternoon, or evening. In alignment with that specific measure, one's intentions should correspond to the essence of the prayer and the appropriate time. Moreover, it is advisable to direct one's thoughts and expressions using the names and designations related to the Sefirot. This means directing one's focus toward the names of the Tetragrammaton that allude to the essence of the Sefirot and the internal spirituality that serves as a garment for the bones. This spirituality emanates from the Ain Sof, the unique essence beyond our limitations, and can only be alluded to through the Tetragrammaton in those specific points. By doing so, one can safely proceed on their path.", "However, we should not disclose more in this book. We have already summarized the privacy of intention in prayer in this book separately, and we named it \"Sefer Kanaf Renanim\" (Book of Soaring Wings) with the help of God." ], [ "To Explain the Secret of the Fall of the countenance", "Know that the number of days in the year, which are the days of His sorrow, meaning the days of the fall of the Countenance (Nefilat Afim), these days serve as the medium chariot, which is the chariot of Metatron. This is the secret of \"On the river of Kevar,\" etc. The sequence of the chariot in these days is as follows: five days in Tishrei and twenty-four in Cheshvan, totaling twenty-nine; twenty in Kislev, totaling forty-nine; twenty-three in Tevet, totaling seventy-two; twenty-three in Shevat, totaling ninety-five; twenty-two in Adar, totaling 117. In Nisan, Metatron does not have dominion. In Iyar, twenty-three days, totaling 140; in Sivan, eleven days, totaling 151; in Tammuz, twenty-four days, totaling 175; in Av, twenty-three days, totaling 198; in Elul, twenty-four days, totaling 222. Metatron serves during these days with the Chayot (Holy Animals), four camps, and nine spheres. There remain twenty-one forbidden days during the fall of Afim. These days serve as the throne of creation, and the letters Kaf-Lamed-Bet are the Kabbalistic letters that are not transmitted the secrets of the chariot except to those who master the secrets of Kabbalah. According to the numerical value (Gematria)." ], [ "To Explain the Secret of the Ingredients of the Incense:", "Know that the recitation of the incense formula holds a mystical power to dispel any prosecution from the King. Indeed, our sages commented on the verse \"This is the Torah of the burnt offering,\" etc. The reason that there are eleven ingredients in the incense is to teach us that in any community where there is one wicked person, they should not exclude him from among them, nor should they prevent him from praying with them. They should not assume that they will lose by participating in the prayer of the wicked. On the contrary, it will be beneficial for them, for when examined above, the value of his prayer, in accordance with the value of the prayer of the wicked, will appear more significant than what they, being without wickedness, offer. The wicked person will also benefit, as his prayer becomes important through joining theirs. This is when ten righteous and one wicked person are considered all righteous; all eleven are deemed righteous. However, the power of nine righteous individuals cannot annul the disqualification of one wicked person. If there were two wicked individuals in the congregation, twenty righteous individuals would be required to annul the disqualification of two wicked individuals. Therefore, in the incense, ten good signs were used to neutralize the bad odor of galbanum.", "Now, one of them is myrrh, and the second is frankincense, the third is cinnamon, the fourth is calamus. The interpretation of calamus is \"white,\" hinting at the attribute of kindness. Regarding this, Israel is covered under the shadow of kindness through the secret of the magical power of the incense at the time of anger, to weaken the power of the King's prosecution and dispel it. The \"Mem\" is myrrh, the \"Vav\" is mor (myrrh), the \"Hei\" is ketsi'a (cassia), and the \"Zayin\" is nard (spikenard). The \"Chet\" is karkom (saffron), with the initial letters forming \"Miknei,\" which means possessions. Israel is the possession of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, \"And I will give you the land of Canaan.\" The \"Tet\" is koshet (costus), and the \"Yud\" is kinnamon (cinnamon), with the initial letters forming \"Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh Hashem Tzva'ot\" (Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts). This hints that Israel, the possession of the Lord, is covered in the shadow of the attribute of kindness, called \"Chet Tet\" through the secret of the incense, to be protected from the prosecution of the King's prosecution. The first four signs bring \"seventy\" measures from each of them, and four times \"seventy\" equals \"two hundred and eighty,\" to hint that the prosecution of the King, whose form is a calf and is called \"Par Refu Yedeiav\" (healing the hands), and the other four signs each bring \"ten\" measures, and four times \"ten\" equals \"forty,\" hinting at the secret of \"Sia'ata D'Shmaya\" (support from Heaven). When you connect the quantity of \"seventy\" with \"two hundred and eighty\" to the quantity of \"forty,\" the sum is \"three hundred and twenty,\" symbolizing the secret that the King's prosecution, named \"Shmad,\" and its intention to destroy, as it is written, \"And he said to destroy them if not for Moses,\" the \"Kuf\" is twelve, hinting at the twelve tribes, which are the offspring of Jacob called \"Emet\" (truth), whose translation is adorned. When you connect the quantity of twelve with the letter \"Shin,\" it will rise to \"three hundred and sixty,\" suggesting that the anger of the King will turn into favor. The \"Kuf\" is twelve, hinting at the twelve tribes, which are the offspring of Jacob called \"Emet\" (truth), whose translation is adorned. When you connect the quantity of twelve with the letter \"Shin,\" it will rise to \"three hundred and sixty,\" suggesting that the anger of the King will turn into favor. The \"Lamed\" is thirty, hinting at the thirty generations that spread out among Israel and were cut off, as it is written, \"All the nations surround me in the name of the Lord, for I will cut them off.\" When you consider the quantity of thirty with the \"Nun,\" it will rise to \"fifty,\" symbolizing the turning of Satan, named \"Shet,\" meaning \"Shin Tav,\" to die, in the secret of the power of the incense. The \"Tet\" is nine, hinting at the power of the nine patriarchs that spread among Israel and were cut off, as it is written, \"All the nations surround me in the name of the Lord, for I will cut them off.\" When you connect the quantity of nine with the \"Nun,\" it will rise to \"fifty-nine,\" symbolizing the change of Satan, named \"Shet,\" to \"Shin Tav,\" in the secret of the power of the incense. The \"Yud\" is ten, hinting at the ten Sefirot of the Divine emanation. When you connect the quantity of ten with the letter \"Samech,\" it will rise to \"sixty,\" symbolizing the secret that the perfection of the matter of the incense causes good to Israel. When you connect the quantity of sixty with the \"Tzadi,\" it will rise to \"ninety,\" symbolizing the secret of the three fathers in the secret of the \"Shin\" of Shabbat. This means that, in the merit of the three fathers of Israel, they are saved at the time of anger through the secret of the incense. A handwritten note accompanies this text." ], [ "In the secret of the sacrifice and reincarnation:", "It is known that the animal sacrificed on the altar, through its fat and blood, binds and dedicates the higher attributes. For this reason, in order for holiness to be effective upon it, the animal must be without blemish, as any blemish is undoubtedly a defect adhering to the substance itself. It indicates the domination of the klipah (impurity) over it, repelling holiness from it, as it is impossible for two opposites to exist together without one repelling the other. Undoubtedly, holiness flees from there. Therefore, a complete vessel is needed to instill holiness in it, allowing the higher attributes to be singled out in it. Besides this reason, there is an additional reason in the secret of reincarnation. The same secret is found in animals, specifically in the case of evildoers who are deserving of death. They clothe themselves in an ox or a sheep, slaughter it, and it is considered as their death and punishment until their sins are appeased and removed. By the will of the Lord, their ways will be dressed in a kosher animal to draw near to the altar. Then, in the secret of the smoke of the offering, it will depart after receiving its punishment through a proper ritual slaughter performed by the high priest Michael, who sacrifices the souls of Israel. This is a great secret in sacrifices to rectify the wicked of Israel who contemplated repentance. Since the destruction of the Temple, they are rectified through the death of infants. If a wicked soul, impure and unfit for sacrifice on the altar, clothed in an animal and the mark of sin is imprinted upon it, it will have a fixed blemish, preventing it from approaching the altar or entering the sacred. Instead, it would be slaughtered outside the sanctuary with a proper and checked knife. Afterward, it would be purified and whitened through the secret of the correction of the commandments, until it is rectified. Only then, after a proper slaughter, could it ascend, but not to the altar. Therefore, it is forbidden for an ignoramus to eat meat, as it does not purify and is destined to undergo reincarnation. Some reincarnate in clean domesticated animals and kosher birds, becoming neveilah (a carcass) with a faulty or damaged knife, or they are found as treifah (a fatally injured animal). This is a difficult reincarnation from the previous one. Others reincarnate in unclean domesticated animals or in dogs, and their reincarnation is extremely difficult, almost without rectification. Some reincarnate in a non-Jew, and this is almost as difficult as before. Some reincarnate in a Jewish servant, which is better than the previous cases. Some reincarnate in a woman, which is better than the previous cases. Despite all this, it is a descent from the first level. For these three, we recite the blessing \"Who did not make me a non-Jew, a slave, or a woman,\" while for all other animals, we do not recite a blessing.", "However, the secret of these reincarnations pertains not to the soul, perish the thought, but solely to the nefesh (lower level of the soul). The angel in charge of this is Sandalphon, the prince of souls. He teaches merit on behalf of the souls of the children of Israel to purify them, as explained in the Tikkunim regarding the commandment of sending away the mother bird. He encompasses all the souls of Israel, even the disqualified ones. He desires that no soul be completely rejected from him. This concept is expressed in the verse \"With all desire of your soul, you may slaughter and eat meat.\" This signifies the completion of the desired perfection for all the souls. We have already expounded on this in the Ein Mishpat section of the Secret of Secrets." ], [ "Understand that the livestock that Jacob sent to Esau numbered precisely 440, neither more nor less, with a deliberate intent in a complete calculation of purity. This calculation includes both the aspect of purity, signifying those without blemishes, and the aspect of impurity, representing those with defects, which is denoted by the term \"blemished\" (מומין). Therefore, the Scripture associates them with the impure ones. This is evident in the inclusion of camels between the cattle and the sheep, and the mention of cattle between the camels and the donkeys. This informs us that just as camels and donkeys are disqualified for sacrifice, so are the livestock, both sheep and cattle, disqualified for sacrifice because they had blemishes. Hence, the verse begins with the Doron (gift) with eight words ending in the letter \"Mem.\" These include \"Izi\"m (goats), \"Mati\"m (sheep), \"Teishi\"m (female donkeys), \"Alei\"m (rams), \"Ezri\"m (ewes), \"Leishi\"m (male donkeys), \"Ra'cha\"l (ewes), and \"Lei\"ah (ewes). These words total 440, with no other intervening words between them. This signifies that all the animals Jacob sent as a gift to Esau, in the gift, were all blemished.", "And know that the calculation of all the pure animals that he sent to Esau in the Doron (gift) was 490, corresponding to the numerical value of the letters ס (Samech), ל (Lamed), and ת (Tav), representing pure species. As for the unclean animals, they are in the category of blemished. Now, the numerical value of עזי\"ם (goats) is 127, signifying the years of Sarah's life. The term \"Rachelim\" (ewes) also hints at the merit of his wife Rachel standing by him. Additionally, from the cattle, the merit of Rebecca, his mother, will stand by him. The calculation of camels and donkeys equals the numerical value of the impure animals (טמא\"ה) and 191 (יטמ\"א), respectively. When these impure animals are combined with the pure ones, the total numerical value (נת\"ק) ascends to the head of Esau. Since he initially sent the gift to the realm of Azazel before separating the tithe for the sacrifice, even though they were blemished, his descendants were obligated to sacrifice 490 animals each year for the additional offerings: 100 for the Sabbaths, 22 for the heads of the months, 7 for the days of Passover, 11 for the additional offerings, and 7 for the firstfruits, totaling 141. Furthermore, 14 oxen for the seven days of Sukkot, 14 rams for the days of Sukkot, and 98 sheep for the seven days of Sukkot, totaling 112. Additionally, 70 lambs for the seven days of Sukkot, 98 he-goats for the seven days of Sukkot, and 16 for Shemini Atzeret, totaling 184. The grand total, including the 490 animals sent as the gift, amounts to 4910. This is the numeric value represented by the final letters (פ\"ד) with an additional שנ\"א. And this is the sum of the manuscript." ], [ " The Secret of the Sabbath and the Extra Soul and Sabbath Meals", "Know that there is a person who only merits the Nefesh (physical life force), and there is a person who merits the Nefesh and the Ruach (spirit), and there is someone who also merits the Neshama (soul). One who merits all three during the weekdays gains the advantage of all three on Shabbat. However, one who only merits the Nefesh during the weekdays will only gain an additional Nefesh on Shabbat. Because not many people attain at least [the merit of] everyone, they merit an extra Nefesh.", "Know that the extra soul is the daughter of the King and originates from the supernal kingdoms of creation. When it comes into the world, three angels from the world of formation accompany it. One is from the camp of Michael, corresponding to the attribute of kindness of Abraham. Another is from the camp of Gavriel, corresponding to the attribute of strength, the awe of Isaac. The third is from the camp of Uriel, corresponding to the truth of Jacob. For this reason, the seventh day is called Shabbat, meaning Shin-Bet-Tav, hinting at the three patriarchs. The intention is on the three angels mentioned who come to accompany the extra soul, which is called \"Bet.\" Therefore, on Erev Shabbat, after handling three myrtle branches, which hint at the three patriarchs, one should seek three myrtle branches with a valid source. The intention is for them to serve as a seat for the three angels mentioned, who come to accompany the extra soul. When the extra soul perceives that the three angels found a place to rest upon it, it waits for them until Motzei Shabbat to accompany it. At that moment, it rejoices and is happy. On Motzei Shabbat, during the Havdalah ceremony when blessing those three valid myrtle branches, the three angels walk with the extra soul, accompanying it until its place. At the moment of its departure, the extra soul blesses the homeowner for the joy it received. If one did not prepare the three myrtle branches on Erev Shabbat, when the three angels come to accompany the soul and do not find a place for their camp, they leave, and the soul remains alone and sad. On Motzei Shabbat, when blessing the myrtle branch, the angel from the left side moves away from it, and the accompanying angel separates from the soul. The soul goes away alone in sorrow and curses the homeowner for not taking the trouble to prepare three myrtle branches thick enough for the angels to camp on, as they accompany it.", "Indeed, the root of the extra soul is as follows: When Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, he was given one thousand portions of light, which correspond to the secret of the \"Aleph\" of the multitude of Adam, Seth, and Enosh. However, when the Israelites committed the sin of the Golden Calf, they were lost due to the transgression of Israel. At that point, only one portion remained, separate from the original one thousand portions. Therefore, it is called \"Aleph\" precisely. Since Moses did not sin but lost only due to the sin of Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, completes them with Moses as a kind of gift to Israel. These are the lights and crowns, which are the witnesses of Israel that they regretfully separated from with the sin of the Golden Calf. Moses then took them to complete what was lacking for them. However, every Erev Shabbat night, Moses returns to receive those one thousand portions of light that were lost, taking them with the secret of the additional aspects of Shabbat. He then returns the crowns of Israel to them. From these crowns, Israel inherits the additional aspects of Shabbat every Erev Shabbat. This is the secret of Moses rejoicing in his gift of a portion. Meaning, on Shabbat, Moses is given as a gift that portion which was taken from him, and he rejoices in what has been restored to him. The intention is to say that since he has received his portion, he is joyful with his portion and does not covet the portions of Israel. Thus, he returns their portions and does not say, \"Since Israel sinned and I already gained their portion, I will take it all.\" Rather, he rejoices in his portion alone and returns their portions to them.The reason is that an faithful servant is called for him. Therefore, the crowns of Israel that were entrusted to him, he returns to their rightful owners. This is what is meant by saying, \"For a faithful servant is he called.\" He explained what the gift of his portion was, mentioning that it is the same glorious robe that was placed on him while he stood before You on Mount Sinai. It was lost from him as he descended from the mountain, and he brought down the two stone tablets with his own hands. However, the glorious robe was taken from him. This is the gift of his portion that he now receives on Shabbat.", "And know that the extra soul arrives at the onset of the Sabbath. The household needs to be prepared for the Sabbath with an arranged table, a lit candle, and the homeowner adorned and dressed in Sabbath attire. If one has the ability to immerse [in a ritual bath], it is commendable. If not, washing hands and feet with warm water suffices. At that point, joy enters the human body, especially during the morning prayer when the prayer leader says, \"The soul of every living being.\" This is the time of the arrival of the soul. During the afternoon prayer, when the prayer leader says, \"And I, my prayer,\" it is the time of the arrival of the spirit. During the Havdalah ceremony on Saturday night, when reciting \"Ata Chonantanu,\" the spirit returns to its place. During the Sanctification of the Holy One's name [Kedushah] in the prayer service, it is the time of the departure of the soul. After the soul has departed, permission is given to kindle the candle. During the Havdalah ceremony over the cup, it is the time of the departure of the spirit. According to the opinion of the holy Ari, may his memory be a blessing, as written by the Ari, the following is the explanation: When saying, \"Bo'i Kala\" (Come, O Bride) during the reception of the Sabbath, you should intend to receive the additional soul. In the blessing, intend to receive the spirit. During the phrase \"U'feros Sukkat Shalom\" (And spread the shelter of peace), intend to receive the soul. All of these correspond to the secret of the night, which is the realm of the Kingdom. Afterwards, in the morning, intend to receive the soul in the blessing. During the Sim Shalom (Grant peace) blessing connected to the Amidah prayer, intend to receive the spirit. During the Musaf prayer, in the phrase \"Ayei Makom Kevodo\" (Where is the place of His glory), intend to receive the soul. All three are from the secret of the daily attributes.", "And it is necessary to arrange the table with twelve loaves, in the evening, morning, and for the third meal. Arrange the bread in two simple rows, six to the south and six to the north, forming the structure of the six-row system. The table should be positioned to the north, and the menorah to the south, with the length of the table from east to west. However, according to the kabbalist, the holy Ari, may his memory be a blessing, he wrote, and may he rest in peace: Arrange them so that there are twelve loaves, six on the right side of the table and six on the left. The six on the right should be arranged in groups of three, as should the six on the left, and these three should resemble the structure of the acronym SaGaV (סגו\"ל). This is the prescribed order: ", "ndeed, because on your right side, there are four loaves, two on top of two, and likewise, on your left side, there are four, two on top of two. In the center, there are four other loaves that are divided into two, which are two loaves near those on the right and two others near those on the left. When you want to make the blessing, take the two upper loaves from the center, attach and join them with both hands, so the two sides of the loaves stick together, and their two faces will be facing in opposite directions. Then it will appear as if it is one loaf with two faces. This is the secret of the \"Double-faced Bread.\" Cut off a piece about the size of an olive, take it for yourself, cut another piece about the size of an egg, and give it to your wife. Afterward, you can cut additional pieces if you want to giv", "And it is necessary that the one arranging the table is in the north, and the menorah is in the south, and the length of the table is from east to west. The table's length should be twelve handbreadths, its width six, and its height no less than nine and no more than ten. The host should sit with his back to the north and his face opposite the faces of the candles. During the blessing over the bread, he should take two loaves from the right side, one from each arrangement, and not place them on top of each other. Instead, both should be standing vertically, one beneath the other, so that one face of a loaf is in front of him, and the second face of the other loaf faces the menorah before him, resembling the Double-faced Bread. If he cannot arrange twelve loaves, he is not allowed to place more than four. Arrange two on the right, one on top of the other, and two on the left, one on top of the other, with the three themselves forming a triangular shape", "And know that it is necessary to arrange a meal for the Saturday night after the Havdalah, and one should set the table beautifully, as it is necessary to honor the additional soul in its arrival, just as in its departure. Whoever does not dine on these Saturday nights does not fulfill the obligation of the third meal, and furthermore, from it, the person derives pleasure, which is known as \"luz.\" This is well known. Additional intentions regarding the meals of Shabbat are expounded in the book \"Ma'aseh Choshev,\" with the help of God.e to others." ], [ "On the Secret of Prohibitions on Shabbat and Permitted Activities on weekdays:", "The matter is that on the other days, the dominion of the attribute of kingship does not rule in the lower world. The light of emanation does not spread downward, except for the secret of the angel Metatron, and that is during the weekdays. Thus, in the weekdays, the entire world and everything in it are illuminated, and they are clothed in the lights of Metatron. When a person performs his work and labor, which is under the dominion of Metatron, it is permissible to act in it.", "However, on Shabbat, because from above, in the higher dominion, the secret of the additional soul light spreads, its branches extend downward, and thus, all that is below is illuminated by the light of kingship. Concerning the implements of plowing, the heifer, and the plowed ground, they make use of the upper light of kingship. Engaging in these activities on Shabbat interferes with all the work one does because it is the Shabbat of the upper kingship, and certainly, one cannot sow with implements or plow on Shabbat. The ground, which is plowed, is truly a dominion since it reigns and spreads among the lower beings. This is the essence of the matter." ], [ "Commentary on Circumcision", "It should be asked, after Israel, who are holy and God's portion, received the impurity of foreskin, which is the \"Sitra d'Shmaya\" (the Other Side of Holiness, associated with impurity) and is the highest level of impurity. The proof is that the sages compared it to the impurity of a dead body, the father of impurities, as is mentioned in Midrash Yalkut (Yalkut Reuveni) on Parashat Vayera and Parashat Naso, and they said, \"And Moses said, 'This is the thing which the Lord has commanded, you shall do, etc.'\" - what is this thing? Concerning circumcision, he said to them, etc. A parable to a certain hunchback who had a lover, and he was a priest, and he had impurity in his house, etc. Similarly, it says in Pirkei Rabbi Eliezer, Chapter 29: \"One who separates from the foreskin is like one who separates from the grave. Anyone who touches the foreskin is like one who touches the dead, etc.\" If so, where does this impurity come from for Israel? It can be said that the initial arousal of sexual activity is only from the side of the evil inclination for the pleasure of the world. Even the pious, who cannot avoid having some aspect of worldly pleasure, as stated in Vayikra Rabbah, Parashat Tazria, Section 3: \"In the sin of 'I created' - Rabbi Acha said, 'Even if one is a Hasid among the pious, it is impossible that he will not have some aspect of desire for worldly pleasures.'\" David said before the Holy One, blessed be He, \"Did I intend anything, O Father in Heaven, but for my own pleasure, etc.\" until \"For my father and my mother have forsaken me, etc.\" And Yishai, who is from the tribe of Judah, died because of the bite of the snake, as mentioned in Berachot 17a and Shabbat 146a. It was said about him by the Holy Spirit, \"In the sin of 'I created,' etc.\" It is derived from this that there is no sexual activity that does not have some aspect of desire, and from that aspect, the foreskin is formed.", "However, the secret of circumcision and uncovering is that the judgment dictates that the upper light will spread across all worlds, and the light of the North will be revealed and shine. However, the Holy One, blessed be He, concealed the light of His divine presence and hid His goodness because of the sin of Adam and the wicked who draw from it. In this context, the line of judgment is humbled, and a screen is made to separate above, namely, the outer aspects. He gave to guard the way of the Tree of Life, as it is written, \"And He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden the cherubim and the flame of the revolving sword to guard.\" These are the two circumcisions: one, the revolving sword, which is the foreskin that is cut off by the sword, as it is written, \"Make for yourself sharp knives\"; the second, the cherubim, which are the wings of the foreskin, peeled from here and from there, forming two cherubim covering with their wings on the Ark Cover. We do not cut it, but it spreads its wings and opens its doors from here and from there to reveal the good sign of the North and the way of the Tree of Life. Regarding this, it is said, \"And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin.\" It is called \"flesh of the foreskin\" because it is an advantage. Since the form of the organ is hidden from within the flesh, and there is no similarity in all organs to this, if you cut off any part of an organ, you will subtract a piece, and this is a flaw. The form of the organ will be revealed, indicating that this matter is added to the true form due to the sin that caused the created beings. This is the meaning of \"the flesh of your foreskin\" because the added flesh and blemish are because of you, for the way of the Tree of Life was revealed, and man, in his sin, added foreskin flesh and concealed the way of the Tree of Life. Therefore, \"the flesh of your foreskin\" specifies, and behold, Adam's sin was in the service of hands [and the mouth], for he took with his hands and ate with his mouth. Also, this command is performed with circumcised hands and sucked with the mouth to rectify this sin, for man was pulling on his foreskin, which is the flesh of your foreskin. And you shall circumcise, like the way you caused the flesh of your foreskin, as on that day, thus it shall be performed. This is like the same way you caused it yesterday; similarly, circumcise it and thus rectify the sin." ], [ "River 52: Regarding the importance of the commandment of circumcision:", "Know that a person is not called by the name 'human' except through the commandment of circumcision, and without it, he is called a demon and not a human. The reason is that the conditions for a person to be called by the name 'human' require him to be in the image of God. For in the image of God, He made man. Therefore, it is fitting to understand the nature of the image, what it entails.Understand that a person has a soul, spirit, and breath through which his soul, spirit, and breath are protected from external influences. For there is no empty space in all the air of the world that does not have many demons and harmful entities. However, through the garment created for the soul, spirit, and breath, as mentioned, they are preserved from external influences.This is the meaning of 'But in the image, one shall walk.' For a person cannot navigate this world and traverse the air filled with harmful entities and external influences except through the image, which is the divine garment, as will be explained with the help of the Almighty.This garment is shared between Israel and the nations, between humans and demons, as they are all the work of His hands. Therefore, a person is included in the secret of this garment, which is the mystery of the image mentioned. However, animals do not have this fortune; they do not have this secret.\"", "And behold, when the soul becomes impure through its actions, then this garment departs, and the external forces seize it. The extent of that sin varies, from much to little. When sin increases, it departs entirely. This is the meaning of the statement 'And they knew that they were naked.' This is the secret, as on the day you eat from it, you will surely die. For that sin causes the departure of the mentioned garments entirely, and in this way, the external forces can seize the soul, spirit, and breath. This is the secret of death, and this is the secret of the saying of the sages, 'The wicked, even in their lifetime, are called dead.' Because through their sin, the shadows go, and the garments depart, leaving them naked until their removal is complete. Only then is permission given for one to take the soul.This is the meaning of 'until the shadows flee away.' The mentioned image is a garment for the soul. The concept is that the soul is from Binah, as it says, 'And the soul of Shaddai will understand them' — the language of understanding. Thus, 'Ehyeh' with the full spelling, Yud-Hey, is equal to 'Tzelem' (image). However, the spirit and the soul are from the attributes of Netzach, Hod, and Yesod. Therefore, their garment is 'Ehyeh' with the spelling Aleph-Hey-Yud-Hey, totaling 91. The garment for the spirit, which is equal to Aleph-Hey-Yud-Hey, and the garment for the soul, which is equal to Aleph-Hey-Yud-Hey with the Hey of the Yud, add up to Aleph-Lamed-Peh-Yud-Hey, which is 'Ehyeh' (spelled fully), and He said to him, 'Ehyeh' with the addition of the Yud, for He is 'Ehyeh' with ten letters.\"", "And behold, even the demons are His creations, blessed be He. Since they are spirits without bodies, as is known, they only have the name 'Ehyeh' of Yud-Hey and the Aleph-Hey-Yud-Hey, which are masculine, for the body is from the realm of the Kingdom, as known. Therefore, 'Ehyeh' of Yud-Hey and the Aleph-Hey-Yud-Hey together have the numerical value of 'Shed,' which is a demon. As for the nations, the peoples of the world do not have a soul, as the soul is acquired through the laws, and the Torah. This is what the Scripture says: 'And you shall keep and do them, for it is your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the nations.' They will say, 'Only a wise and understanding people is this great nation.' Perhaps it means that through the laws of the Torah, a person acquires completeness of the soul. Through action, intention, and speech, a person acquires three garments for the three parts of the soul, as mentioned. Through action, the soul is perfected. Through speaking the Torah, the spirit is perfected. Through intending in the Torah and its commandments, the soul is perfected. Know that each of the soul, spirit, and breath is divided into the respective parts, and similarly, action is divided into judgments, commandments, and statutes, and speech is also divided into plain interpretation, Midrash, and Kabbalah. Intention, too, whether it is directed according to the plain meaning, Midrash, or the secret, completes each part of the soul, spirit, and breath. This is easy to understand.", "And know that to attain the lofty soul, which can only be reached by select individuals, such as Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and the like, however, for a regular soul, all of Israel together achieve this through performing the laws. This is what is meant by 'And you shall keep and do them, for it is your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the nations.' Meaning, they merit a soul that is drawn from wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the nations who will hear all these statutes and say, 'Only a wise and understanding people is this great nation.' It means that every great nation collectively merits the level of the soul, as mentioned, through the laws. This level is not found only among the Israelites. This is what is meant by 'only,' indicating exclusivity. The matter is that the divine image is perfected when all its parts, which are the soul, spirit, and breath, come together. This can only be found among the Israelites. Therefore, specifically, you are called 'Adam' (human).", "And behold, in the soul and spirit, there is some hold for the external forces. The reason is that the root of judgment derives from the attributes of beauty and sovereignty, which are the mysteries of spirit and soul. However, from understanding and above, they have no hold at all. In this, one can understand the reason why the garments of the soul, spirit, and breath are in the secret of Ehyeh, as mentioned. This is because the name Ehyeh is the mystery of understanding from which the external forces flee. Therefore, as long as there is a hold for uncircumcision and impurity in a person, it is impossible for the soul to rest upon him, and thus, he cannot be called by the name Israel. Therefore, it is customary not to call him by that name until after the circumcision, for once the uncircumcision and impurity have been removed, the mystery of the soul will certainly take effect upon him—meaning, the soul of the lower aspect. In this case, he will be called by the name of an Israelite, like Shimon, Reuben, and the like. Thus, it becomes clear that the reason he is called 'Adam' is through the commandment of circumcision. This is the essence of the matter." ], [ " In the secret of charity, and in the secret of the half-shekel every year, and the redemption of the firstborn:", "The matter is that the Scripture found it necessary to write in several places that they sold Joseph for twenty silver pieces, to inform us how much they benefited from him so that we can rectify his distortion. The twenty silver pieces were twenty dinars of silver, and each dinar is six ma'ah, and each ma'ah is four issarim, which are twenty-four issarim in total. Each four dinars of silver are a holy shekel. It follows that all twenty dinars of silver are five shekels. Therefore, we were commanded by the Torah to give five shekels for the redemption of the firstborn, corresponding to those shekels of Joseph's sale. From these five shekels, each one received half a shekel, and the five shekels amounted to ten portions. Therefore, we were commanded by the Torah to give each one, as atonement, the half-shekel every year for communal sacrifices. Even in this time when the Temple does not exist, every Jewish man is obligated to give them to the poor, whose Torah is their profession.", "Know that charity given willingly and wholeheartedly has a virtue to save one from the judgment of Gehenna. However, charity given out of pride, to honor oneself, or out of shame, thinking that if one does not give, others will, has the power to save from an unusual death. Yet, it lacks the power to save from the judgment of Gehenna. For an unusual death is a brief moment of suffering, while the suffering of Gehenna is prolonged. Moreover, one is physical suffering, and the other is spiritual suffering. Not only does charity save from an unusual death, but also from death at the hands of Heaven, as stated in Masechet Shabbat and as explained." ], [ "- In the secret of miracles:", "Know that the attachment to the supernal light can only be achieved through desire and love, which are spiritual elevations. Through this, the soul overcomes the material, and a person adheres to his Creator, and the entire world is under his feet. He rises above all and acts in the world according to his will because he is the source of the upper abundance, causing the world to exist. That is, he prevails over the angels who are appointed over the affairs of the world, and they are all subject to him, doing his will. It is similar to the one who said to the oil, 'Ignite,' and he said to the vinegar, 'Ignite,' meaning that he replaced the angels and put the power of oil into the vinegar. This is very close to the true meaning of miracles, similar to these righteous individuals, for leprosy does not cause death; rather, sin causes death, which is the ministering angel and the husk that overflows in him. When the supernal light departs from him, what remains is like straw and stubble before human beings. This is the meaning of 'A wolf shall dwell with a lamb,' and 'On the light of vipers,' etc." ], [ "In the secret of the Manna, the Well, and the Clouds of Glory:", "The concept is that the matters of the well and the manna were not just ordinary sustenance, and the clouds of glory were not merely for shade. Instead, there was a secret of refinement in the well itself, water from the Kingdom, and an abundance of its holiness sanctifying the body, preparing it for the performance of Torah commandments. Similarly, the manna was heavenly bread, a glory that meticulously refines the body, preparing and purifying the spirit to dwell in the chambers of Torah and engage in its commandments day and night. Likewise, the clouds from the aspect of kindness and understanding, as kindness is the foundation of the patriarchs' homes, providing for the body and clothing it in a holy spirit to purify the soul and prepare it for the hidden secrets of the Torah. This involves the three aspects: the first being the Nefesh (soul), corresponding to the well and the practical commandments; the second being the Ruach (spirit), corresponding to the manna and, in turn, to the Torah and prayer; the third being the Neshamah (soul), corresponding to the clouds of glory and the hidden secrets of the Torah" ], [ "In the secret of the Exodus from Egypt:", "Know that according to the tradition of Kabbalah in our hands from our Sages, it is taught that there were fifty gates of purity created in the world of formation, in the Hall of Love, standing there the camp of Michael, called Ophanim. Corresponding to them, fifty gates of impurity were created in the world of the Halls of Transformations, called the world of Sammael, who rules over them. Let not the saying be difficult in the eyes of the discerning about the world of Sammael, for from the greatness of the servant, the greatness of the master is known to all who possess knowledge. As Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, may his memory be a blessing, wrote that Sammael is the servant of Metatron. Likewise, Metatron himself is the servant of the Holy One, Blessed be He.", "And it is known that a person is not judged in the heavenly court until he reaches the age of twenty and beyond. If one enters on the first day of being twenty-one, and he chooses good, rejects evil, and endeavors to engage in Torah and commandments, then, on the first night when he sleeps in his bed, Michael, the great minister, dispatches one angel from his great hosts, fitting for this purpose. This angel leads his soul and brings it to the entrance of the first gate among the fifty gates of purity. The soul is brought inside up to the extent of the merit of his soul. In this way, every night, the soul is brought further inside, commensurate with the effort he invests in Torah and commandments. If he merits entering the fiftieth gate, he becomes a free person from Sammael. He no longer fears him. However, as long as he has not merited entering the fiftieth gate, even if he has entered into the realm of Metatron, he still possesses the strength, through his free will, to overcome the evil inclination and to extricate it from the fiftieth gate of the impure Halls and bring it into the Halls of purity.", "Likewise, someone who, on the first day of the year at the age of twenty-one, begins to despise good, chooses evil, and forsakes the paths of righteousness to walk in the ways of darkness. Then, when he sleeps in his bed, Sammael dispatches one of his great ministers, in proportion to the degrees of the soul's sin, to lead it into the Halls of impurity. He brings it inside up to the first gate, according to the measure of his sins and transgressions. If he continues to transgress, they bring him further inside until he enters the fiftieth gate. At that point, there is no eternal rectification for him, and it is said of him, 'He who is twisted cannot be straightened.' For this reason, the Halls of purity and impurity were created through this condition. However, as long as he has not entered the fiftieth gate of impurity, even if he has entered the Halls of Metatron, he still has the power, through his free will, to contemplate his past deeds. He can break the doors of bronze, cut the bars of iron, and depart from the Halls of impurity to enter the Halls of purity. This is the secret as the Sages said, 'One can acquire his world in one moment.' The secret of the matter is that even the most wicked among Israel, despite increasing in accusations, cannot enter the fiftieth gate of impurity until he regrets and condemns his deeds for four hundred consecutive days, one after another.\"", "And know that there is a tradition received from our Sages that the children of Israel became so deeply immersed in the abominations of Egypt that on the eve of Passover, they entered the Halls of Metatron. If, God forbid, they had delayed longer, they would have entered the Halls of impurity, and again, there would be no eternal rectification for them. This is the secret, and had the Almighty not brought our forefathers out from there, we and our descendants would still be enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt. Therefore, the Torah writes the Exodus from Egypt fifty times, corresponding to the number of times it was handwritten.", "Indeed, the reason that the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt is revealed before the Almighty, Blessed be He, as He knew that Israel would be subjected to four kingdoms in the future. To prevent them from despairing of God's salvation, both they and the nations that would enslave them, so that their rulers would say, \"Their God is weak and unable to take them out,\" He decreed in His wisdom that they would be enslaved in Egypt, which is second only to the Land of Israel. In Egypt, only seventy rulers and the angel Sammael govern, as all the rulers of the seventy nations are under their dominion. If they cannot stand against Israel, certainly the other nations and rulers cannot. This secret is hinted at in the verse, \"The palm trees trembled, and the cedars of Lebanon quivered,\" for Egypt is under the dominion of Sammael and the seventy rulers, due to the abundance of their impurity compared to all the other lands. Thus, anyone entering into a covenant with them becomes enslaved.", "Certainly, the reason for the exile in Egypt, as written by the Arizal (Rabbi Isaac Luria, may his memory be a blessing), is that the generation at that time carried the secret sparks of impurity from the seminal emission that Adam, the first man, expelled during those 130 years. They represented the secret of the generation of the Flood, who also corrupted their seed on the earth until they were wiped out. This corresponds to the verse \"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth.\" The wickedness of man literally refers to the secret of seminal emission, called \"evil,\" and the one who emits it is called \"wicked,\" as mentioned in the Zohar on \"Do not let evil dwell with you.\" Thus, the generation of the Flood was the actual evil of the first man. This is the secret of \"And God regretted that He had made man,\" and then they reincarnated in the generation of the Tower of Babel. Concerning them, it is written, \"Come, let us go down and confound their language,\" indicating that they were the actual descendants of Adam, but due to the impurity from the seminal emission, they were disturbed. Afterwards, they reincarnated in the generation of the division of nations, and concerning them, it is written, \"Let us go down, and there confound their language,\" to see the city and the tower that the sons of man built. It means that they were built from the very essence of Adam that was distorted by their external impurity. They, too, sinned, and later they needed rectification because they all possessed holy and mighty souls. However, the external forces clung to them and corrupted them. After they join together and purify themselves, they will become holy souls after the removal of their impurity. The point is that you already know that the external forces only hold onto holy souls, which are their life force.", "Behold, the exile in Egypt had no purpose other than to refine those souls. Therefore, they came into that great bondage and embittered their lives with hard labor in clay and bricks, corresponding to the bricks and clay that the generation of the division of nations used, as will be explained in the book \"Ein Yaakov,\" Nahar 23 in the section on Sefer Yetzirah. Also, know that the reason for the exile in Egypt was because on the day that the Creator assigned the nations to be rulers in the generation of the division of nations, the sons of Adam rebelled against themselves. They entered a great rebellion, all under the influence of the external forces, saying, \"Come, let us build ourselves a city,\" and they all entered the secret of rebellion. They entered the external dominion because they saw the external force as having status and the ability to permit them in idolatry, immorality, and anything they desired, without restrictions. Sammael and Lilith ruled over them. Since they had a spark of holiness in their souls, the Creator consented, and external forces ruled over them through appointed rulers. Their intention was to be under the external dominion and in unity. As you already know, unity is certainly related to holiness. Therefore, the Creator scattered them under the external forces because separation is attributed to the external forces. The dispersion was under 70 branches, representing the various branches of the impure husks. In this way, the dominion of the Divine was upon them, although they behaved through the appointed rulers.", "Indeed, there remained for the Almighty only a small portion, namely Abraham from Terach alone. There were holy souls that continued from the day the world was created until that time, flawed and degraded. They were also mixed with impurities before the sin of the first man. Therefore, Abraham separated 12 princes from Ishmael, the ministers of the right side. Additionally, Abraham fathered several families from Keturah, all of whom were ministers of silver, separate and refined. Between them, some families sinned in idolatry, and they were more wicked than necessary. The ocean overflowed upon them, and a place under the dominion of the ministers of this silver was established. Isaac joined, and he brought forth ministers of gold. He set Esau and his champions, subjecting them to a second ruler for Edom. Similarly, Lot joined Ammon and Moab. Abraham was called the father of a multitude of nations, indeed, all the nations born in the nine generations would join and be refined through his seed in the secret of the exile in Egypt. There, all souls would be clarified and refined through the generations, and this is what seems correct to me." ], [], [ "The secret of lighting Hanukkah candles:", "Know that for the candles, there are certain conditions. Firstly, one must use an appropriate vessel for the Hanukkah candle. There are fifteen types of vessels suitable for lighting, and anything preceding these is praiseworthy. The vessels are: 1) Gold, 2) Silver, 3) Light copper similar to gold, 4) Reddish copper, 5) Iron, 6) Lead, 7) Tin, 8) Glass, 9) Wood, 10) Earthenware plated with metal, 11) Unplated earthenware, and it must be new, 12) Pomegranate peels, 13) Pistachio peels, 14) Oak peels. For these peels, you should make them into a vessel, like creating a balance scale, or weave them into pepper shakers and the like. However, peels from onions, eggs, and the like are not suitable for lighting. All the mentioned fifteen vessels, which cannot stand on their own without support, are not suitable for a Hanukkah candle.", "Know that the measure of pure oil that has the seal of the Kohanim and is placed under the oil is a sixth of a log of the Rabbeinu Tam (which is a Rabbinic measure). Every night, in every candle, one would use the weight of seven Drahms (a unit of weight), lacking a quarter Drahm. This is a sufficient measure for an hour and a half, which is an eighth of the night. A miracle occurred with this amount, as they would light it, and it would continue burning throughout the entire night. The time for lighting a Hanukkah candle, our sages said, is half an hour. Therefore, it would be sufficient for each candle to use a weight of two Drahms and a quarter. The matter is that a half Log, which is three eggs, would be the measure. Each egg is eighteen Drahms, so the total for each candle would be fifty-four Drahms. This measure would last for eight nights. The oil was distributed over eight nights, and every night, for each candle, a weight of seven Drahms, lacking a quarter Drahm, was used, as mentioned earlier. And thus, the total for the seven times would amount to fifty-four Drahms, equaling the measure of a half Log. This measure was sufficient for all eight nights, and the oil, which was split into eight portions, was given every night for each candle a weight of seven Drahms, lacking a quarter Drahm, as mentioned. This measure was for the seven nights, and when you add the eighth time, it sums up to the measure of a half Log." ], [ "The secret of the mikveh:", "Know that the tradition of Kabbalah is in our hands from the sages of truth, that fourteen hundred varieties of impurity are attached to the impure. In order to remove these types attached to the spirit of impurity, one needs a hundred se'ah of water. Each se'ah strengthens forty-nine eggs. Thus, the total for the hundred se'ah is five thousand nine hundred and sixty eggs. The weight of a Jerusalem egg is twelve dinars, and the Babylonian egg is twelve dinars minus a third of the dinar. Since a person is composed of four elements, his purification is only through water. The reason is that impurity is a spirit, as mentioned: 'And I will pass the spirit of impurity from the earth.' The spirit does not naturally enter into water. When the impure enters the water, that spirit of impurity is extracted from him. Therefore, our sages of blessed memory required the impure person to enter into the water completely. If even one hair remains outside the water, he will not become pure because all impurity clings there, returning and attaching to the body", "And in the secret, water alludes to the attribute of kindness, and its name is the secret of purification from blemish, as stated: 'In kindness and truth, iniquity is forgiven.' From the waters of kindness, the attribute of wisdom flows. The letter Yud hints at wisdom. The form of the letter Yud is a sealed structure resembling an egg. The numerical value of the letter Yud is ten. Yud Yud Vav, Vav Yud Vav, Vav Yud, and Daled Yud, which are six combinations of the letter Yud, together equal twenty. All six combinations total one hundred twenty. With six more combinations, you have a hundred and twenty-six. The six combinations of the letter Yud have eighteen letters and six words, totaling twenty-four. With the addition of Kaf, twenty-four becomes a hundred and twenty-four, which corresponds to a hundred and twenty-four eggs. This is the secret of a se'ah, a hundred and twenty-four eggs. Thus, the se'ah resembles the letter Yud, signifying that each se'ah has the capacity to remove ten varieties of impurity. When forty se'ahs are combined, they will remove all the forty varieties of impurity. This is the secret of 'and four hundred men were with him,' as mentioned in the Zohar.", "Know that in ten places, there are gates in the body corresponding to the ten categories of impurity. The gate of the head alludes to the first, the gate on the right cheek hints at the second, and the gate on the left cheek hints at the third. This corresponds to the three upper categories, which are considered as one. The gate of the right armpit hints at the fourth, and on the left cheek, it hints at the fifth. The gate on the throat and heart hints at the sixth, which is the body of the tree. The gate on the right knee hints at the seventh, and on the left, it hints at the eighth. The surroundings of the righteous hint at the ninth, and his rear hints at the tenth. These ten places serve as seats for the ten forces of impurity to take hold of if they become impure.", "Know that in ten places, there are gates in the body corresponding to the ten categories of impurity. The gate of the head alludes to the first, the gate on the right cheek hints at the second, and the gate on the left cheek hints at the third. This corresponds to the three upper categories, which are considered as one. The gate of the right armpit hints at the fourth, and on the left cheek, it hints at the fifth. The gate on the throat and heart hints at the sixth, which is the body of the tree. The gate on the right knee hints at the seventh, and on the left, it hints at the eighth. The surroundings of the righteous hint at the ninth, and his rear hints at the tenth. These ten places serve as seats for the ten forces of impurity to take hold of if they become impure." ], [ "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "The secret of the matter is that the soul of a living being, even though it is spiritual due to being from the preservers and inhibitors of the intellectual soul, after entering the human body, transforms into blood. Blood is physical, and its weight is twenty drachms, neither less nor more, whether male or female, whether young or old.", "Because the redemption of the soul is found not in the measure of judgment but in the measure of kindness, as it is written, \"By kindness and truth, iniquity is atoned for.\" The line of judgment says that the sinning soul must die, and silver symbolizes the measure of kindness. Therefore, the redemption of the soul is only with silver, meaning that one must give the weight of twenty drachms of silver, equivalent to the weight of the soul's blood. Each drachm weighs ten issarins, and twenty times ten equals two hundred. In this manner, the weight of the silver, when multiplied by the number of issarins, amounts to two thousand.", "Each issar is the weight of a medium-sized carob seed. In this way, the measure decreases from the blood of the soul on the day of fasting, as will be explained in detail in \"Ein Yaakov\" (a compilation of Aggadic material in the Talmud) in the section about the river, section 44, according to the numerical value." ], [ "River 63 - In the secret of the placement of the ear, hand, and foot, and in the secret of the signs that Jacob transmitted to Rachel:", "Know that there are three major ministers from the side of the left, and they are the ones who awaken a person to pursue bodily desires. One of them camps on the right earlobe, and he is the great one. The intermediate one on the right hand's thumb, and the small one on the right foot's big toe. Through the priest's application of the blood of the guilt offering to these three places, the mentioned ministers are removed from him. This is similar to how, through the sprinkling of the blood of the sin offering on one impure from contact with a corpse, the impurity of the dead, which is a spirit of impurity from the side of the left, is removed from him. Similarly, on the eve of Yom Kippur, one must apply the blood of the slaughtered rooster for atonement on the right earlobe, the right hand's thumb, and the right foot's big toe. Through this, the ministers who arouse him to pursue bodily desires are removed from him.", "They are the instigators, and with their removal, a claimant and an accuser are spared, and no court can judge without a plaintiff. Similarly, the matter with the secret of sexual relations: when arousal comes from the male, that act of sexual relations is not for the sake of heaven but for pleasure. Even though it is impossible for the initiation of sexual relations not to be for pleasure, from this perspective, the uncircumcised organ is born, as mentioned above. However, for the one who merits a kosher woman, every sexual act, when it occurs through her arousal, and when she holds her husband's right earlobe, right thumb, and right big toe while intending to arouse him, she must direct her heart at that moment to strengthen these three signs. Through this, the three ministers who arouse desire for reasons other than heaven will be removed from him. When he intends to fulfill the mitzvah of onah alone and not for any pleasure at all, then that sperm can leave his body without causing impurity to his mother's womb. These are the signs that Jacob transmitted to Rachel. However, the woman needs to start with the right big toe, which is the lower sign, and then the right thumb, which is the middle one, and afterward the husband's right earlobe, which is the upper one. In this way, Jacob transmitted them to Rachel." ], [ "River 72 - The secret of visiting the sick and welcoming guests:", "The concept of visiting the sick is that when a person is ill, he reveals through that illness that the external force dominates him, as implied in the statement in Job: \"Behold, it is in your power.\" Every illness in the world is the spirit of impurity that clothes itself in judgment against the person. Our sages explained this as \"evil and faithful diseases,\" and the meaning according to the sages is diseases entrusted to messengers. This is the same force given to cause him to be nauseous, and that judgment sticks to him until he accepts the bitterness of his obligation. This is precisely the same soul in its supreme place that influences it with judgment and gives it the pulse of light. When a person comes to visit him, worries about him, and seeks mercy for him, he draws upon that soul the influence from the side of the crown. This is precisely the healer of the sick, healing the soul, and unifying the six lower sefirot with understanding. There, the realities of the soul, spirit, and vital soul, clothed in judgment and illness, are found. When he visits the sick, it causes the revelation of the upper emanations on the sick person, and the Divine Presence from the heads of the sick appears, and he seeks mercy for him and lightens his illness.", "The secret of hosting guests and its components is manifold. Firstly, hosting them in one's home is undoubtedly an act of kindness, and the guests are the six lower sefirot, the foundation, and they are travelers as the way is known. The Divine Presence pursues those who walk the path when there is Torah discourse among them, which is the Torah of the sefirot. This is as explained in the Zohar on the verse \"He walks in justice before Him.\" The reason is that since there is Torah among them, which unifies there, it is certainly the place where she unifies with him, as is certain in Parashat Orot. When a person brings them into his home, he creates a dwelling and hospitality for the sefirot and the foundation in a house, which is the Divine Presence. His house becomes a dwelling for the Divine Presence, and he brings guests into the house, causing them to unify since there is no coupling on the way. Even if they are engaged in Torah, if he provides them with food and drink afterward, which is abundance in the secret of eating, \"They ate, drank, and anointed themselves,\" as explained in the Zohar on Parashat Vayikra, this causes them to connect more, especially if they are men of importance. Additionally, when he accompanies them, it causes more than anything else because the accompanying of Levi is greater than anything in the world. The reason is that the host, with whom the Divine Presence is present, when he accompanies the guests, causes the Divine Presence, which guards the way, to certainly guard him with all the abundance of Torah. Moreover, it is at the entrance of the path, which is the sixth sefirah, and she guards that place. When he accompanies the guests, it causes the Divine Presence to walk with them, as the Divine Presence pursues uniqueness, represented by the letter \"He\" in the name, which chases the \"Yud\" and the \"Hey,\" the letters in the male. These letters are with the host who is in the place of the sefirot. This is the accompanying of the \"Yud\" letters that are the letters of His name - \"Yud\" from the right, \"Hey\" from the left, and \"Vav\" in the middle. By doing this, he forms a connection with the letters \"Yud\" and \"Hey\" of His name. This is the escort of the \"Yud\" letters, the letters of His name. The \"Yud\" is from the right, the \"Hey\" from the left, and the \"Vav\" from the middle. By doing this, he forms a connection with the \"Yud\" and \"Hey\" letters of His name, and this is the escort of the letters \"Yud\" and \"Hey\" as explained. This is why the mitzvah of escorting is greater than anything they do with the guests. This is as explained." ], [ "In the secret of the Priestly Blessing:", "Know that there are seven types of blessings created in the world, and they are: ", "Wisdom, Children, Life, Grace, Wealth, Leadership, and Peace. All of them are hinted at in the Priestly Blessing. We also taught in the book of Yetsirah, Chapter 4, that no more than these seven types of blessings were created in the world.", "Therefore, the priest who blesses needs to direct in the proper order for all these seven types of blessings. In the phrase \"May He bless you,\" one must intend that the Almighty will bestow wisdom upon all of Israel, as the Sage wrote that there is no blessing except wisdom, as it says, \"And God blessed Solomon,\" and it is written, \"And the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon.\" It is also stated in the Book of Bahir that there is no wisdom except as a blessing.", "In the phrase \"And guard you,\" one must aim for the blessing that the Almighty will grant children to Israel, for there is no preservation for a person not to have his name erased from Israel except through children, and with children, one is guarded against all evil.", "In the phrase \"May the Lord shine His face upon you,\" one must aim for the blessing that the Almighty will increase good and healthy life for Israel because one who is alive and healthy has a radiant countenance.", "In the phrase \"And be gracious to you,\" one must aim for the blessing that the Almighty will bless Israel with charm. In the phrase \"May the Lord lift His face toward you,\" one must aim for the blessing that the Almighty will bless Israel with wealth and leadership, as leadership is dependent on wealth, and servitude is associated with poverty.", "In the phrase \"And grant you peace,\" one must aim for the blessing that the Almighty will bless Israel with the blessing of peace, as its literal meaning, as mentioned in the Sefer Yetzirah." ], [ "To explain the concept of marriage:", "The primary commandment in all the commandments is the commandment of procreation, and it precedes all the commandments in the Torah. It is the first of the commandments, as in the portion of Bereshit, where it is written, \"And God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.'\" This matter was the will of the Creator even for birds and fish, as written about them, \"And God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.'\" Likewise, in the portion of Noah, it is written, \"Every creature that is with you of all flesh, be it fowl or cattle or beast of the field that are with you, let them multiply on the earth and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth.\" This extends to the warning not to castrate even a dog, as it is written, \"You shall not do thus in your land.\" Even the nations are commanded in this, as stated in the Talmud in Yevamot, Chapter \"Hey ayin reish lamed,\" that regarding a convert who has children before converting, it is sufficient for him if they convert with him. The Rambam, may his memory be blessed, explained this. Furthermore, even in the case of someone whose half is a slave and half is free, it was said in the tractate Kiddushin, \"You have improved his master but not himself.\" Even regarding a freeborn who is idle and unoccupied, it is impossible. As it is written, \"He did not create it a waste; He formed it to be inhabited.\" This matter includes for Israel converting Gentiles, serving as servants, or providing for animals, fish, and birds, whether impure or pure. Due to the importance of this matter for humans, the temptation exists even for an infant on its first day.", "And the reason for this matter is explained in the Zohar in Pekudin, that the divine presence does not spread in its branches below except through the descent of higher souls. For this reason, a person must procreate and multiply to continue the descent of higher souls below. Through the existence of souls below, a higher light will emanate in the lower realms, and the divine presence in the lower realms has a need for the higher realms.As the divine presence descends below and rectifies itself in the actions of the lower realms, the light of the sefirot will emanate in it. When the light of the sefirot emanates in the Kingdom, the light of the Ein Sof emanates in the sefirot and in the Kingdom and in the lower chariots, as is known. The Ein Sof light does not spread in its entirety but in a complete vessel. The sefirot are not complete except when they are connected with the Kingdom, and the Kingdom is adorned for unification only when it dwells and resides in the lower realms, which is adorned through their actions.It is known that the commandment that directs the existence of the supreme unity has no equal, as other commandments instruct the preparation of the unity and its adornment, and they are 248, corresponding to the 248 upper limbs. Through this, it is found that in the foundation, all the upper aspects are included. According to this, the commandment of procreation and multiplication encompasses all the aspects of the other commandments. Besides this, it causes another aspect that other commandments do not cause, as the divine presence in the lower realms depends on this commandment.", "And behold, Adam the first man was not commanded with a positive commandment except this one, to have all the worlds dependent on this commandment as explained. Even the other creatures, by nature embedded in them through the ministering angel appointed over them, do not have a way of good action but rather the fulfillment of their species in nature. On this, the commandment comes not to mate even a dog because it instructs, God forbid, about the dryness of the upper source, the flow appropriate for the ministering angel appointed over that species.", "Now, one who avoids this matter has a great punishment, and it is less than that of an unclean animal, snakes, and even insects. It is similar to a hard shell that does not bear fruit and enters itself there. Therefore, one who nullifies it finds it easy not to have been created, and therefore, that body has no redemption at all fundamentally. Also, all the other commandments will not benefit him unless he merits purification because all the commandments do not illuminate except through this commandment. Since their vitality is dependent on this inclusive aspect that we explained, and this is as explained." ], [ "Explaining the Concept of Marriage:", "Regarding the matter of marriage, a great misconception has fallen upon the minds of many people, thinking that marriage is based on one's strength and virility. In this regard, some are inclined toward profit and wealth, while others set their eyes on beauty, and some focus on the family being of good standing. There is no doubt that all these considerations are inappropriate. It is close to me to say that this matter operates in two ways, as if to say that most of our generation behaves inappropriately, and there is no one who chooses his spouse properly. Everything depends on the circumstances, like the saying, \"As in the matter of grabbing in vineyards\" or \"Perhaps he will precede him in mercy.\" Alternatively, it may be said that even now, suitable souls exist, and the Holy One, blessed be He, arranges this so that it will be taken and enriched for this purpose. The cause of these things is that the evil and inappropriate thoughts of human beings align with the decree of His wisdom.", "..However, among the difficult matters that complicate this issue is the strictness of our sages regarding the marriage of a Torah scholar. If the decree is true that one should only be matched based on his deeds or the suitability of his spouse, then it is challenging for me. If every man can marry a Torah scholar, what will other daughters of Israel do? I found in the Zohar, in the portion of \"Lech Lecha,\" an explanation of this matter, and they said, \"Rabbi Chiya said, 'Whoever is permitted [to marry] will come [and be matched], and the one whose deeds are proper will demand the match he deserves.' He [God] said to him, 'Teach them [people] that a person should always sell what he has and marry a daughter of Torah scholars, as a Torah scholar is trustworthy in managing money; they will be managed in his hands.' Now, the understanding of this statement depends on two things: first, what they said in the tractate Sotah, here regarding the first marriage, and there regarding the second marriage. Similarly, the Zohar explains in the portion of Lech Lecha. If you say, 'Isn't matching [marriage] done according to the ordinary way?' know that he [God] will certainly arrange the match for him. The one who deserves it and whose deeds are suitable will be matched, and his deeds will qualify him to connect with the one designated for him.", "And this matter will be understood from the first premise, which is that a person can merit his spouse in one of two ways and lose his spouse in one of two ways. The first way is when a person has a new soul that has never been reincarnated. If this man, through his deeds, merits a spouse who is pure and untainted by anyone, and she, too, is new and has never been reincarnated, their union will be like the union of the patriarchs, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and the like. The second way is when a person has been reincarnated and has merited that, before, he was worthy and suitable. Just as he has been reincarnated, his spouse has been reincarnated with him to fulfill their destiny together as appropriate, or according to the decree of His wisdom regarding reincarnation, as will be explained elsewhere. Both of them are reincarnated, and they are matched, and their union is successful. On such a premise, the commentaries explain that there is a righteous person for whom the right time has come, meaning a righteous person whose spouse is suitable for him and is reincarnated with him. Examples of this are Moses with Zipporah, David with Bathsheba, Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa with his spouse, and many others like them.", "There are two ways in which a person can lose his spouse. The first way is when he has been reincarnated to fulfill his purpose, and his spouse has already achieved and completed her purpose. In this case, he does not have the merit to compel her to reincarnate for his benefit, and this refers to a righteous person for whom the right time has not yet come. This is explained in the commentaries. After he completes his destiny in this world, she will return to be with him, and she is waiting for him. It is possible that sometimes, in his old age, everything will be reincarnated according to the talent of his deeds and the decree of his wisdom. This is why we see some who marry virgins or young women in their old age and then experience peace, the continuation of the household, and satisfaction from their spouse. The second way is when someone loses his spouse entirely, and he has no spouse at all. These are the ones who died childless, and their wives were leverated, and they were impregnated by their levirate brothers. These are considered others, and they have no spouse at all except through abduction, as explained in the Zohar in several places, particularly in the Parashat Mishpatim in Saba.", "There are two other scenarios in which a person can lose his spouse for a certain period. The first scenario is when a person has committed many sins and corrupted his deeds to the extent that he will not merit a spouse until she returns with complete repentance as is fitting. He may, however, marry another woman immediately after divorcing his previous wife to honor his sin by not keeping his previous spouse. According to the appearance in the corrections, the specific sin for this case may be the sin of adultery during childhood, meaning that just as he did not preserve the first drop for his spouse, she will not be preserved for him and will be given to another after all. An example of this is David with Bathsheba, except that she was preserved for him, as Uriah had never touched her. This is due to David's righteousness in preserving the drop in a permitted way. Alternatively, the spouse might not be given to another but is kept as a deposit for her husband until he merits and takes her. There is a significant difference between these two scenarios, as giving her to another is very difficult for her subsequent marriage, as it requires deferring her soul for the sake of another soul, and it is challenging to be placed before him, even though it is all judgment and justice, as stated in the Zohar. This is illustrated by Uriah being rejected because of David, but if she is not given to another, there is no obligation to defer a soul for another soul, as he can marry her himself. This is similar to the case of Bathsheba being given to David despite being previously married to several men. The second scenario is when she has corrupted her deeds, is not suitable for him, and is forbidden in the hands of harsh masters until she repents of her ugly deeds. Then she may merit another spouse after deferring her soul for the sake of another soul, as it is not possible in another way. These two scenarios may never happen unless a person repents.", "Another difficult aspect is when a person loses his spouse forever and ever. This occurs in two ways due to her corruption. The first way is when a man divorces his wife because this action distances her from him. If the divorce is due to a matter of prohibited relations, she is divorced, and regarding her, it is said, \"She shall go and become another man's.\" This is certain and undeniable. In such a case, the first husband cannot take her back. This is explained in the Zohar with the example of Rabbi Levinus, a resident of Kfar Ono, who was mocking. If the wife was divorced because of the husband's evil deeds, and she is righteous, she does not descend but is given to another. The other ascends with her, and she does not get divorced from him. Instead, the second husband clings to her for his benefit with his righteous deeds. This is why the Scripture says, \"And the last man hates.\" There is a last man who hates, and there is a last man who does not hate. For this reason, the Torah established the law of the suspected adulteress (Sotah): if she became corrupt, she would not be divorced but would drink the bitter waters, die, be reincarnated, and return to her original husband. Divorce is not the same; even the altar sheds tears for it, as it truly separates two faces forever.", "After introducing the mentioned concepts, Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzchak said the following in the tractate Sotah, as Rabbi Yochanan opened with the same idea when discussing the Sotah. He said: \"A person does not marry a woman except according to his deeds, as it is stated, 'For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the portion of the righteous.'\" Rabbah bar bar Chana said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan that this matter is as difficult as the splitting of the Red Sea. As it is said, \"God makes a home for the lonely; He brings out the prisoners into prosperity.\" Do not read \"brings out\" but rather as \"brings out,\" meaning that just as God brings out, so too a person must bring out. I ask: Isn't this contradictory to what Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rav, that forty days before the formation of the fetus, a divine voice goes forth and declares, \"The daughter of so-and-so is destined for so-and-so\"? It is not difficult; here, it refers to the first marriage, and there, it refers to the second marriage. Now, the matter of the Sotah involves her deeds contaminating a matter that separates her from her husband. If the matter could be rectified by a divorce document (Get), the marriage would be annulled from its foundation, and her soul would be separated from her husband. Therefore, it is preferable to rectify it through the waters of the Sotah. If she is pure, she remains pure with the pure; if she is impure, and he is impure, the waters do not check, as explained by our sages. The man is cleansed from sin, etc. Therefore, if both are pure, and she is impure, the waters destroy her building, and she is rebuilt a second time. If, after all this, she still goes astray, either she eventually comes back to her husband, or she dies due to her sin, and everything happens according to the decree of His blessed wisdom. This is why Reish Lakish said in the tractate Sotah that one does not marry a woman except according to his deeds, meaning either pure with the pure or impure with the impure, as it is stated, \"For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest.\" This is the reason for the Sotah, as explained.", "The difficulty in comparing the marriage of a couple to the splitting of the Red Sea is based on the statements of Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Yochanan, which were specifically mentioned regarding the second marriage, as will be deduced later. Now, the reasoning for this is as follows: since souls, both male and female, are inherently pure, combining pure with pure and impure with impure, the separation that occurs in the world when they descend makes it challenging for them to reunite, akin to the difficulty of splitting the Red Sea, as will be explained later. The difficulty arises because, even during the approximately nine months of gestation in the mother's womb, souls unite regardless of their spiritual standing. As the sages mentioned, forty days before the formation of the fetus, a divine voice declares the destined spouse for a person. This refers to a specific soul that is earmarked for a particular individual, even though it has not yet taken physical form. It is impossible to declare the woman for the man explicitly, as she does not yet have a body. Nevertheless, God, in His wisdom, ensures that the appropriate soul, whether pure or moderate according to the intentions of the father and mother, is assigned to the child at the moment of conception. The moment the angel named Lailah raises the drop (the sperm) on high, God gives it the suitable soul that corresponds to the child's parents and their sanctification during marital relations. Immediately, God declares, \"The daughter of so-and-so is destined for so-and-so.\" This proclamation is not publicized to the individuals involved, as the embryo has not yet developed into a recognizable form. Instead, it signifies that the specific soul designated for a particular individual is prepared for the assigned individual. This declaration occurs before the separation of the body and soul, demonstrating that these souls are meant to unite. Therefore, understanding that they will eventually marry is not contingent on their later union.", "...And prior to this, the difficulty arises due to the will of the Creator, as everything in the nature of existence indicates that they should easily unite. Why should their matter be respected? The explanation is not as you originally thought, but rather the interpretation is that there are two types of unions. The first type is the initial union, meaning the one that occurs when their status has not changed. Their actions remain unchanged, and the spouse is not given to another. This union is light and not burdensome; it is natural and straightforward. Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Yochanan explained that the difficulty in this union is akin to the splitting of the Red Sea, which signifies a situation where one needs to separate oneself for the benefit of another. This is explained in the Zohar in the context of the phrase \"Lech Lecha,\" and it refers to the second marriage, which is postponed due to the first spouse's presence. Despite this, within the realm of justice and mercy, both are considered, and the Egyptians were rejected for the sake of Israel. Thus, there is both justice and mercy in this matter, similar to the situation in Egypt. They were judged and had mercy shown to them concurrently. The Egyptians were rejected for the sake of Israel, exemplifying both justice and mercy in one context. It was possible for their days to be prolonged further if they hadn't been rejected for the sake of Israel, just as the Egyptians had not yet filled their measure. This dual aspect of justice and mercy is also evident in the Midrash's interpretation of \"Kishru, Bechi, v'Shiru\" (they tied, cried, and sang). Tying represents the rejection, crying symbolizes the exile, and singing signifies the redemption. Thus, justice is applied in one aspect, while mercy is extended in another. This is also reflected in the story of Joseph, where his actions led to him being united with his spouse, even if she was initially in the hands of another. This elucidates the meaning of the statement, and it completes the discussion that was designated for it.", "...The second matter is that when male and female souls unite, they are necessarily matched. The point is that when the male attains the soul and not the spirit or the neshamah, he will only be given a spouse if she is like him, possessing only a soul. It is impossible to unite with a spirit, neshamah, or the like unless they lack something, and each lacks the other. Thus, they are not balanced to ascend unless they are precisely in accordance with their deeds.When a person possesses a complete soul, spirit, and neshamah, he merits having a spouse in completeness, as male and female are united in all aspects—soul with soul, spirit with spirit, and neshamah with neshamah. In this case, the female lacks the power to extricate herself from the dominion of the Creator when she is twelve years old, for example. In most women, they are eligible and do not have the same ability as a person who can free themselves from the dominion of the Creator from the age of thirteen until the age of eighteen for marriage. Therefore, a bachelor who has not tasted the taste of sin is highly commendable, as our sages explained. Consequently, the female soul is precious when it is under the supervision of one who draws her from above with purity. Just as an individual's actions dictate, a person draws a soul to a newborn. The female soul, pure and clean, has no one to draw her in purity. She is entrusted to the one who draws her from above in cleanliness and purity. This is achieved through Torah scholars and those engaged in Torah and mitzvot with purity. They unite with their spouses in sanctity, drawing these souls and meriting to have a worthy and righteous student.", "", "Now, with this, the statement that we previously cited in \"Man Demands a Deposit\" will be understood. It is clear that one who is refined in good and proper deeds attains the soul, spirit, and neshamah. Therefore, the phrase \"one who demands a deposit\" refers to someone who is upright in good and proper actions, and he merits the soul, spirit, and neshamah. Consequently, one who wishes to marry should demand a deposit, indicating that the intention is not to take an actual name. It is still possible that his spouse may be entrusted to another or to a person of many proper deeds, such as a charity collector or a teacher of young children, as explained by our sages. Therefore, he said that he should demand a deposit if one of the parties defaults.To explain the matter, we learn in a Baraita: \"A person should always sell all he possesses and marry the daughter of a Torah scholar.\" The reason is that sometimes people are very interested in wealth and generosity. Therefore, he said that a person should always sell all he possesses and marry the daughter of a Torah scholar. The reason is the \"deposit\" of Mariya, referring to the pure soul given as a deposit, as those souls are only entrusted to the hands of a Torah scholar." ], [ "The secret of a pregnant and nursing woman:", "The matter is that one who emits seed in vain affects the external forces called 'batalah' (wasted). However, one who impregnates his wife, even a nursing or pregnant woman, is not considered emitting seed in vain because she conceives when commanded by our sages. This is also a mitzvah for Torah scholars from Friday evening to Friday evening. The reason is that through this action, as it occurs in a state of holiness, the husband and wife unite in the secret of their souls. Then, inevitably, they will bring about something from their higher root. If so, even a husband and wife who are unfit to conceive through physical means will conceive spiritually in the realm of the soul. This is the secret of 'and He breathed into his nostrils the soul that He made,' for this reason, it is not considered wasted seed influencing external forces. God forbid! Rather, it is to conceive spiritually, as the verse says.\"" ], [ "The Secret of Marital Modesty:", "The matter is that all the actions of the material world, if the physical desire overcomes them, even if it is for the sake of Heaven or for the sake of a commandment, most of that action is given to the external force of that desire. The main focus of these externals is to be in this matter, as evidenced by the snake with Eve. Therefore, the main intention should not be directed towards the material but towards the intellect and the intellectual soul. This is almost impossible unless most of the arousal of that action is directed towards the defective inclination. How can one avoid it? By strengthening oneself with self-discipline and sweat, as it says, 'tremble and do not sin.' As we see, the evil inclination purifies itself and does not gain control, but the pure aspect within it works for the sake of Heaven. Then, there is no control over the external. These are the two conditions for distinguishing the external: a) the desire, b) self-discipline and sweat, and also c) the covering mentioned in the Zohar at the beginning.", "The matter is that anyone who engages in permissible activities, as do those who commit obscene acts and engage in licentiousness and promiscuity, will receive his share from the woman engaging in adultery. He will wear it and defile himself with it, and he will be called impure. All of this will lead him to a lower state, engaging in what is permissible for him in a physical manner, like those who have no internal entrance. Therefore, they abandon themselves, their approach, and their drop of seed. However, those who are internal in holiness will not abandon their approach when it is permissible for them. Instead, they sanctify themselves concerning matters that distance the adulterous woman from them. This is why it is said in a similar vein, 'A wayward woman eats and wipes her mouth, and says, \"I have committed no iniquity.\"' The point is that when a person is clad in the evil inclination, and even when it is permissible for him, in a manner that is unseemly, immediately the adulterous woman seizes the opportunity and indulges in that union. She eats from it, wipes her mouth, and says, 'It is permissible.' He does not realize that there is a share in it for external forces, and the adulterous woman derives pleasure from it. This is also the case with all permissible matters that have a share for external forces. Hence, sanctify yourself even in what is permissible for you, and so on.", "", "Similarly, one who engages in the customs of the nations, participating in their gatherings or entering their places of worship, will attract an evil influence to himself. The person may believe that he is not affected by impurity, only slightly contaminated, and may not realize that it penetrates his soul. The reason is that their gathering places become a residence for the nocturnal evil force, as it is said that the evening demon dwells on their children. When one enters into their midst, he steps into the realm of their impure atmosphere. Therefore, one who ascends to the lofty spiritual level should distance himself from deriving benefit from them. He should not enter their gatherings or ascend to their places of worship unless absolutely necessary. Without a doubt, he sits in the wings of the impure nocturnal force, contaminating him like a menstruating woman in her seat alone. Even the assembly of the ignorant is somewhat impure. All of this is mentioned in the corrections, as stated." ], [ "In the explanation of the rest and coverings of the soul:", "The concept is that just as for the completeness of all bodily needs, two things are required: clothing and food, similarly, for the completeness of the souls, two things are required: commandments and Torah study. This is because the soul has 248 spiritual limbs and 365 spiritual sinews. It resides within the body, a spiritual organ within the physical organ, with 248 limbs corresponding to the 248 sparks of the soul. If a person were to commit a transgression, God forbid, by looking at something forbidden, then the eye of the soul becomes blocked and covered with a shell, unable to see the spiritual realm. It cannot perceive the secrets of the Torah, and the book is closed before it. Similarly, the ear and other organs may be affected, causing the spiritual ear to become deaf to spiritual matters, not hearing the declarations of angels. The mouth may become mute, unable to speak spiritual words. This is illustrated by the story of a certain righteous man who guarded his limbs from wrongdoing, and the Satan accused him. A beautiful woman appeared to him, and he was saved by blinding his eyes with a fiery nail. This act was to protect the physical eyes from becoming a cause of blocking the eyes of the soul. This is why they were blinded to save the eyes of the soul. This corresponds to the statement, 'Do not turn to the idols; and a molten god, you shall not make for yourselves,' so that you will not turn like an idol with eyes that cannot see.", "Know that in the mouth, it is quicker to sin than in other limbs, and it is very difficult to guard it. Therefore, they warned with their statement, 'When you sit at home, guard the opening of your mouth,' since speech is a part of the soul that goes out. With every word, if it is a conversation of a commandment, an angel is created, and if it is of impurity, an evil angel is created. If it is vain talk, a vain angel is created. This is because prayer, holiness, and Torah that a person speaks penetrate the firmament and ascend upwards, as mentioned in the Zohar. If it is evil speech, it contaminates the soul, and the holy part of that speech ascends to a place of impurity resembling it. The holy part remains confined in prison, and much effort is required to release it, seemingly, until it is brought out from there. Violating the covenant of the mouth, which is holier and superior to the lower covenant, is called 'nevalot peh' (rottenness of the mouth). Like a carcass that has no remedy, this sin has almost no remedy except through profound repentance. This is why it says, 'Guard the opening of your mouth,' indicating only the opening of the mouth is necessary. Similarly, it warns about other things, 'Let your garments always be white,' meaning that the body, which is the garment, and the clothing for the soul, should be adorned with the commandments to dress the soul. 'Oil on your head,' refers to the soul, which is the 'lamp of God' (Proverbs 20:27), and should not lack. If, God forbid, it turns the other way, the soul will be damaged, as mentioned regarding its 248 limbs, which become contaminated. It is necessary to bleach them with the light of Gehenna, to burn the black garment, whiten the soul, purify it, and restore it to its original place from where it was hewn", "", "Also, spiritual sustenance is the Torah. If a person does not engage in Torah study for its own sake in this world day and night, he will lack sustenance in the world of souls, even if he has the garment, which is the commandments. Then, in the world of souls, he will hunger for the superior sustenance. This is the secret of 'And the people went out and gathered it daily,' signifying that they collect their reward and sustenance day by day. They gather their wages and sustenance, day by day. The multiplication is to inform you that there is a day in this world and a day in the world to come. What a person engages in for one day in this world corresponds to a great and endless spiritual day above. All the Torah and commandments that a person engages in during this world constitute a limited and confined day, and in the world of souls, it ascends to infinity. This refers to the matter of 'day by day,' meaning the Torah, which a person speaks in this world, leads them to his day, which is the day above. The intention is that a person should bring with him that which will be sustenance for his soul in the Garden of Eden." ], [ "Explaining the Secret of Positive and Negative Commandments, the Secret of Plagues in Houses, Garments, and Human Beings:", "Understand that the Blessed God chose Israel from among all the nations and took them for Himself alone as a people. He commanded that we be distinct and separate from all impurities. The concept is that each of the 248 positive commandments has its unique virtue to attach us to the Divine Presence. Likewise, each of the 365 negative commandments has its virtue to separate us and distinguish us from the forces of impurity so that they do not dominate us and do not afflict us.", "Know that the 365 types of impure forces are susceptible to afflict a person through evil actions. In response to them, we were commanded in the Torah with the 365 negative commandments, no more and no less. Anyone who violates any one of them brings upon themselves a spiritual blemish from one of the 365 impure forces corresponding to that particular transgression. Even after the preparation of this spiritual blemish, that force is not allowed to afflict the person until it receives permission. This permission is granted when the individual repeats the same transgression, as will be clarified. Permission is given only to the force corresponding to that specific transgression.", "Any plague appearing on the wall of a house does not come out of it independently; it is caused by the transgression itself committed by the owner of the house. The blemish becomes a visible plague for the owner of the house. This plague should have ideally manifested on the owner's physical body, but due to God's mercy, it is not inflicted upon the owner unless there are two warnings. The first occurs on the wall of the house; if the owner repents, it is better for him. If not, and he does not repent, then the second warning appears on his garment. If he still does not repent, then he is afflicted, and the plague becomes visible on his body.", "Permission for the impure force to afflict with regard to these plagues is given only through the judgment of the priest. This is mentioned in the teachings of our Sages, may their memory be blessed." ] ], "Maayan 3": [ [ "River A - in the secret of the primordial existence of the ten sefirot:...", "Behold, from the renewal of the temporal world, today is the fifth millennium and the 79th year. It will be pleased that so many times the sun traveled from the point of the Aries constellation and circled to it, which is the period of the solar cycle divided into four parts, and they are the twelve constellations. Each period of the four seasons is three constellations. Now, this time is dependent on the celestial sphere counted from the time the sphere is renewed and moves. This occurs from the birth of the first man who found a renewed world like himself. He understood in his wisdom the renewal of the world and sanctified the moon and began to count years. However, before this time, angels were not found heading eastward, except in the six days when the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and these were the revealed beings. Likewise, the hidden beings preceding the action in time and in transcendence were also found, meaning that the angels of the world of creation were renewed with the renewal of the revealed material beings. As for the Throne, which is the world of creation, whether it is renewed in time like angels or precedes in the primordial state is not clearly explained. Nevertheless, our sages of blessed memory said that the Throne of Glory preceded the world. They also explained this in Perkei De Rabbi Eliezer, Chapter 3.", "And it is found according to this that the material creation is not composed of the formation, for if so, it would be fitting for the formation to precede the action, and not so. Instead, some of the action preceded the formation. The angels were created in the second, and the heavens and the earth were created in the first. Likewise, it is explained elsewhere that the heavens were created from a certain place, the light that is the garment of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, \"He wraps Himself in light like a garment\" (Psalms 104:2). They desired to know from where the heavens were created. Although it seems that the creation ascends to the action in the order of degrees, since the action is lower than the formation, it is not from there that the heavens and the earth were created but from the light that clothes the transcendence, meaning the creation, the light that clothes the divine emanation. They were expanding and extending until He said to them, \"Enough,\" for now that they are formed from the creation, it would be appropriate for them to be stretched according to their measure. However, He said to them \"Enough\" and contracted them in this state that is lower than the formation. The earth was not created from the side of the formation, which is still only from the snow under the Throne of Glory, etc. Behold, the explanation is that the heavens and the earth created on the first day, their cause is not the formation but the Throne, meaning the creation. And in the chapter \"In two,\" the Holy One, blessed be He, created the firmament and the angels, etc., and concludes with it, meaning the firmament above the heads of the living beings, etc. So too, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai explained in Parashat Bereshit and in the Tikunim, the cause of this world is the creation. And so is the judgment that the governance of the formation in the world is only on weekdays. If Adam had merited, he would have been worthy of an eternal Sabbath, and on weekdays, governance is by the formation, and on the Sabbath, governance is by the emanation vested in the creation. If the world had been created in formation, it would have been necessarily subject to it by the force of its cause, which is the formation, and there would be no sanctity of the Sabbath in it. Now, since it is found from the creation, it ascends essentially from the Sabbath, and on the Sabbath, the governance is by the emanation, and when it goes out from the governance of the Sabbath to the governance of the weekday, meaning from Binah, the world of formation, it goes out of its natural state that adheres to it.", "And now, we do not need to give precedence to the world, but to the Throne. The Throne, in the aspect of its existence, precedes the world. Every existence, the spread of its essence, continuously extends its existence as long as its essence is delayed. Its spreading is not a precession of time because time is only from the first day onward when this material time was created. But rather, time is the existence of the spreading, for when the first level began to spread from the Throne, it spread and continued until the completion of that aspect. It started with two, and so on until the completion of the final spreading of the levels of the Throne. This preceding existence is a time that is not a material time but is like that time that our sages, may their memory be blessed, limited for the precession of the Torah forever, which is a time within time. It is not time in the usual sense. This is the matter of the ne'etzalim (emanated entities). The idea is that the Ein Sof (Infinite) precedes all existing things wonderfully, so that no precession can be justified in it. The Keter (Crown) willed from its emanation until it rose willingly above the desires and preceded all emanated entities. Afterwards, the other Sefirot spread one after another until the completion of their spreading. This is the intention." ], [ " Explaining the Vestment of the Divine Presence:", "Know that the beginning of existence, after the domination of external forces and the removal of the Shekhina (Divine Presence) from the lower realms due to the corruption and sin caused by the early generations, generation after generation, the Klipah (shell) strengthened and closed the gates of holiness. The Shekhina stood in the upper realms, except for what clothed itself externally to descend upon Israel in the Egyptian exile, as it is written, \"I will descend with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you up also.\" When Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him, saw from within the bush, i.e., the thorns, it was to reveal the secret of the vestment to a fiery daughter, meaning a daughter of the eye, a daughter of a king, clothed in thorns that cannot be without them. Similarly, the Shekhina in the midst of exile clothes itself within the domain of the rulers of Egypt, as will be explained in its proper place.", "And behold, when the Shekhina descended to Israel in the secret of the Tabernacle, that Klipah (shell) strengthened itself in its judgment, and it closed the passage with the force of the sins of the previous generations. These are the same souls that were reincarnated, rectified, and clothed in Israel, as will be explained elsewhere with the help of God. The Shekhina said, \"These have distanced themselves with their sins, sealing the gates of holiness. How can the Shekhina descend to them in a widespread manner? It is fitting that it descends only through a vestment from the outside, as it did when it emerged in exile, clothing itself in the four Klipot, which are Asiya, Yetzira, Beriya, and Atzilut. I saw, and behold, a stormy wind coming from the north, a large cloud, and a flashing fire, and a brightness surrounding it, and from within it, etc.\" Within these Klipot, the Shekhina will vest itself when descending to them below. Therefore, the merit of the ancients and the compassion of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the merit of our holy forefathers stood, and the entrance opened, and all the Klipot were shattered, creating an opening for the Holy Presence to pass through to the outside, illuminating for Israel and singing upon them without any external garment at all and without any separating barrier from these external forces.", "", "And this opening burst forth then in the desert opposite the dwelling place of the children of Israel, and it went with them on their heads until it stood opposite the entire land of Israel, four hundred parasangs. It extends from the beginning of the border of the land of Israel to its end, on one side called \"Gvilon\" and on the other side called \"Magidon.\" Within these boundaries, between Gvilon and Magidon, there is no Klipah (shell) and barrier at all between the entrance of the Holy of Holies to the foundation of the sapphire stone, to the holy land of Israel. Instead, that air descended immediately and illuminated without vesting itself at all in the four Klipot, which are the secret of the external crowns. From this perspective, it is said that the land of Israel is holy, and the air of the land of Israel is holy. In contrast, the land of the nations, its dust is impure, and its air is impure, and whoever enters it is very close to stumbling. Therefore, when the patriarchs went abroad, they needed several vows. Did Jacob not say, \"If God will be with me\"? Regarding Joseph, it is written, \"And the Lord was with Joseph.\" Our sages explained it as a parable to a man who was carrying [something], behold, Abraham, who entered Egypt to test whether he would cling to the Klipot. However, in the land of Israel, a person is guarded. The roots of the land of Israel belong to the domain of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the domain extends to the land, which is the domain of the external forces, the impure air. Therefore, guarding is necessary for the righteous, as mentioned. And this is a comparison." ], [ "The rest of the Land of Israel is situated beneath the gate of the heavens.", "The Land of Israel is placed under the gate of the heavens, meaning under the window through the covering of the heavens. This window is square, narrow from above, and wide from below. Its measure is a cubic Tefach above by a cubic Tefach below, similar to the measure of the Temple, for the entire Temple was placed under the window. Through the thickness of the covering window, which measures the Holy City of Jerusalem, and the measure of the window from below is four hundred parsecs by four hundred parsecs, the measure of the Land of Israel and all the Land of Israel underneath it. The abundance descends from above through the pipe of the Kingdom of the Ten Sefirot from the World of Emanation. It descends in a straight line until the mentioned covering window and falls upon the Temple. From the Temple, it spreads over the entire Land of Israel. When the breaches multiplied in the first Temple due to the vanity of evil speech, gossip, and foul language, causing sin, that abundance became denser, coagulated, and turned into a thick cloud. It began to close little by little around the edges of the window until on the ninth of Av, it closed entirely, and the flow ceased, and the Temple was destroyed. And immediately, right after the destruction of the Temple, the Holy One, blessed be He, opened the window and removed the world of the wheels. He contracted the dominion of the world of the wheels within the window, so that it would not close again. This opening will never be sealed except specifically at the time of destruction when permission is granted to external forces to enter the land to destroy the Temple, as mentioned. Immediately, they were expelled from there, and there is a covering and a screen, a curtain surrounding the Land of Israel, which preserves these boundaries so that the husk does not spread, and it expels any foreign entity from within it. Even though the Land of Israel is desolate and desolate due to this external operation, which is the act of destruction, despite all this, it does not dominate the Land of Israel. Rather, it was destroyed, expelled, and the Land of Israel stood even in its desolation, clean and pure, free from any foreign presence within it.", "And know that the measurement of the Land of Israel is a distance of four hundred parsa by four hundred parsa. Now, only a hundred by a hundred remains, which is half of the eighth part. Every place, previously fertile and abundant, has now become shriveled and contracted. This is in accordance with the desolation of its Sabbaths, corresponding to the seventy Shemittah cycles that were nullified. Only remnants are left, and even though they sow in its remnants, it is as if they sow in a place where nothing grows.", "", "And know that the Almighty, blessed be He, promised to Abraham to give his descendants ten lands, corresponding to the attribute of Malchut (Kingship), which is inclusive of the Ten Sefirot. In the days of Moses, however, He promised them only seven lands, corresponding to the seven lower Sefirot. This is in opposition to the seven lower Sefirot. Nevertheless, the Land of Keni, Kenizi, and Kadmoni, which correspond to the three upper Sefirot, was not promised at that time because in that era, only the lower Sefirot were in operation. However, after the final redemption, when the three upper Sefirot will be active, then He will grant them the entire ten. Know that the land of Sichon and Og is part of the border of the three mentioned, and for this reason, the children of Gad chose it since it is destined to be opposite the three upper Sefirot. It is destined to be chosen above all the land. Even though it has not yet been sanctified after the redemption, it is possible that Moses, our teacher, may be buried there, as it is known from the secret of Da'at (knowledge) associated with that place." ], [ "To explain the secret of the ladder and its significance:", "Know that this ladder is the light, and it surrounds the entire Land of Israel. The form of the territory of the Land of Israel is neither long nor round nor square; rather, it is shaped like a person lying down, his head to the east, and his two arms spread out, one to the north and one to the south. His two thighs are open, one facing the northern-western corner (which is a horn) and one facing the southern-western corner (which is a horn). Between his two legs, the Great Sea enters, and the sea is to the west of the Land of Israel. Therefore, the Land of Israel is all large and small strips, and the mentioned ladder encompasses all the strips. It has steps on both sides, inward towards the Land of Israel, and outward crossing over to the outside of the land.", "And know that every inhabitant outside the land is surrounded by eleven thousand angels, as it is written, 'A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand' (Psalms 91:7). They ascend in the order of the ladder, from the outside towards the outside of the land, and go to their places. At that moment when a person enters the airspace of the ladder, immediately, twenty-two thousand angels of purity descend through the steps of the ladder from the inside, equivalent to the number of letters in the Torah. They accompany him, twenty thousand from one side and two thousand from the other side, hinting at the verse, 'The chariots of God are myriads, thousands of Shainan' (Psalms 68:18). All the inhabitants in the Land of Israel are also with him, twenty-two thousand angels of purity, as mentioned. However, when someone with an unfortunate fate ventures outside the land and approaches the mentioned ladder, the aforementioned twenty-two thousand angels distance themselves from him. They ascend through the ladder's steps inward and return to their places, while eleven thousand descend and accompany him outside the land." ], [ "Stream 5 - To address two strong and formidable questions: the first, how does the evil inclination operate in the Land of Israel, and the second, what is the nature of death in the Land of Israel.", "Now, based on what we have explained, two strong questions arise. The first concerns the evil inclination in the Land of Israel—how does it operate? The second relates to death in the Land of Israel—what is its nature? Regarding the first question, it should be noted that the nature of the matter in the Land of Israel is such that the influence of the external forces to lead astray is not dependent on this. It is similar to the way it has control to exit from its domain to entice, as it comes out of this boundary and enters the holy realm. The point is that to the north of the Land of Israel, there is an entrance to the external forces to enter this pure air and come to the entrance of the sanctuary to be there as a gateway for sin, lying there to be brought up. Therefore, opposite the external walls of the sanctuary, the klipot (shells) cling, like the shells of a nut, for they are the four holy chambers, and the klipah clings from outside. This means that the secret of that holiness flows to these external forces, and inevitably, they have levels upon levels, descending from there and nursing from them. That is why all the chambers have external nudity—that is, the external entities that adhere there and revolve. Hence, to the north, there is an opening through which these entities exit from their territory and enter. This is why it is said, \"The Satan also came among them.\" This is also the control of the externals in the Land, concerning all the missions in the world. This opening standing to the north is called Nokva D'tehoma Raba.", "And similarly, any part given to the external forces, such as the smoke of the incense from limbs and joints, which fumes all night, tends specifically toward the north side of the Land of Israel, through the same opening from where it goes out to them. It gives them an aspect related to the entrance of the chamber, as the klipot that revolve around are called Nokva D'tehoma Raba. The chamber itself is called Tehoma Raba, and this part of the abyss holds all ten crowns and the seven chambers up to the ninth expanse of the firmament, from bottom to top, as such:", "And behold, the firmaments, nine or seven secrets of the entire creation, form a complete sphere with no opening at all. The firmaments revolve and encompass the entire existence without any opening at all. However, the klipot and their dominion are the ones that broke and shattered, losing their control over the Earth. Only when they are removed through the opening and the channel, their dominion is established on Earth. In contrast, outside the Land, their dominion is established in several ways....", "And behold, through the opening, those kelipot emerge to seduce, tempt, and kill, and they are given control in the land, as will be explained with the help of God. However, Gehenna is not like this. Instead, souls are expelled through the opening of Nukva d'Tehoma Raba and go outside, where they are judged until they ascend through the opening after their purification, as explained in the well.", "Now, the secret of this opening, to the north, opposite the chambers, is essentially to enter the chambers. However, to enter the land, the enticing and deceiving part, and the deadly part, they have several openings, all to the north. Among those who are expelled outside, such as the nations whose souls depart to the outside, and do not ascend through the skies but immediately near the land, they have an opening. Similarly, all the prayers that Israel prays in the Diaspora, and all the pure souls that die in the Diaspora, float in the impure air, as will be explained elsewhere with the help of God. There, a complete angel of the Diaspora stands ready to receive and roll them until they reach this lower air, which is the air between the earth and the lower firmament. There, too, there is a northern opening to admit and expel—to admit the wicked and the smoke of the battle array and to expel the righteous and the prayers of Israel who pray in the Diaspora. This is exactly like the form we have explained. It also has an entrance for ascent and for tempting the people of the land with the evil inclination. However, it is not similar to the strength of the evil inclination and the klipah there outside, like its control in the land. It has no natural entrance, only through the opening and the Nukva. There, all the essence dwells, and it is firmly established. And so it is." ], [ "River 6 - To explain that receiving His divinity requires two conditions: 1) The Land, 2) The Word:", "This is because the inspiration of His blessed divinity upon us comes through two things: Firstly, through the embodiment of this measure, which is the Divine Presence dwelling upon us in a foreign guise—that is, the external ministers through its spread in various ways. Therefore, one standing abroad accepts His divinity in this manner. However, this path will be called the worship of other gods because one receives influence from beneath the hand of the ministers. Regarding this, it is said, \"They have provoked Me to jealousy with a no-god; they have angered Me with their vanities\" (Deuteronomy 32:21). This refers to Israel standing in the Diaspora who worship idols in purity. These individuals do not truly accept His divinity since they are considered somewhat idol worshippers because they influence externally.", "The second path is through the shedding of a foreign garment. Meaning, there should be no separation between him and the divinity except the Shekhinah dwelling through the holy levels upon Israel. This is referring to one residing in the Land of Israel, which is not clothed in physical matter but directly, through the entrance of the Temple, the emanation from the sphere of Sefirah spreads and mingles. The Shekhinah resides in the air of the Land of Israel, eagerly awaited by the Wisdom, which is the wisdom of Solomon. Therefore, the Land of Israel is the Kingdom because its atmosphere is a dwelling place for the Shekhinah. The Shekhinah does not reside among the uncircumcised because it does not connect with the external uncircumcised. Hence, the dweller in the Land of Israel must circumcise his flesh; otherwise, he defiles the land. It is learned that the acceptance of divinity depends on dwelling in the land, and dwelling in the land depends on circumcision, and this requires completeness. Also, the acceptance of divinity depends on circumcision, but if they do not merit the land, it is not complete because it is through embodiment, as we explained. This is revealed to Babylon, the Shekhinah among them was exiled upwards, and to Edom, the Shekhinah among them, through the merit of circumcision, as it says, \"And I will be to you for a God,\" etc.\n" ], [ "To explain the rectification of holiness and all its levels in the dwelling of Israel in the Land:", "Know that every portion of the land is assigned to a nation that corresponds to that portion. This is as it says, \"For I have given the city to the descendants of Lot as an inheritance,\" referring to the descendants of Lot, which is the city. Similarly, for Esau, the Mount Seir, and our Sages have interpreted that it is Edom and its land is red, indicating a direct correlation between the land and the nation residing in it. The reason is that the ruler who governs the nation also has a relationship to influence that particular portion of the land. Likewise, those impure souls are part of the klipah (husk) corresponding to the impure earth, and this involves three relationships: the relationship of the nation, the relationship of the land, and the relationship of the ruler in terms of souls and providence. This concept applies literally to Israel in the Land of Israel, their souls, their Torah, and their divinity. For the Land of Israel is holy soil, and the people dwelling in it are a holy nation. Their souls are sacred, their Torah is sacred, and their divinity is sacred, as it governs Israel.", "Not only that, but just as the Torah has no comparison in the majority of its commandments with other lands, so too, it has no comparison to the Land of Israel with the other laws and statutes of the nations, which are wicked. Therefore, it says, \"You shall not do any of these abominations, for all these abominations, and the land will become impure.\" The Holy Torah and the Land of Israel share a joint connection. Similarly, Israel has a connection with the holy land undoubtedly due to the relationship with their souls. The proof is in Ezekiel, where each tribe's portion in the Land of Israel is correlated with their borders. According to the tribe's connection, its dwelling is against the border that corresponds to its nobility, so that there will be an abundance upon it. The commandments performed in the land adorn and uplift every border in the secret of the soul of each tribe. This involves the completeness of the souls in their portion in the land, and the land's dominion in the portion of souls that comes to it, resisting its essence. The concept is that, just as the point of Zion is a point from which the world was created, as is known, and it relates to the Shekhinah, so too, the other parts of the land are portions related to the Shekhinah in the secret of the twelve borders that spread from the central point. This is the secret of the measure of the land mentioned in the verse in Ezekiel, \"And there was a sanctuary within it, under the wings, full of breadth of the land.\"", "As the Shekhinah is not complete while the place of the Temple is not complete and not properly established, so too the Shekhinah is not complete when the Land of Israel is not complete, with its borders extending from the River of Egypt to the great Euphrates River. Each Israelite dwells in his designated portion as determined by his true opposing fate. Therefore, Israel is not praised for its perfection, and the Shekhinah is not praised for its perfection, except at this time, with the help of God. At this time, all Israel will enter it, and all of them will fill it entirely. This is the true perfection, and then the Shekhinah, which is standing above it, and the living beings, which are below it, with twelve faces corresponding to the twelve cattle mentioned, will be rectified. The honored throne will also be rectified, which is not complete in its perfection. Since the Shekhinah, which is above it, and the living beings, which are below it, do not rectify themselves automatically, it implies that it itself is not in its completeness. Thus, the Land of Israel itself will be rectified, and the rectification of the Land of Israel is through the Shekhinah dwelling in it and through the laws. After the Shekhinah did not serve in it properly, even during the days of Joshua when only two and a half tribes were outside the Land of Israel, the Land of Israel is not rectified in its completeness. Israel themselves will also be rectified, being all together in the Land of Israel. Then, the perfection of the tribes will be great because they will all be included, each of the twelve tribes, in the spirituality of their souls. They will all be included in the secret of unification, as explained elsewhere, and there is no need to elaborate. And the Holy One, blessed be He, knows." ], [ "To explain that the supreme unity is achieved specifically through the prayers of Israel in the Land of Israel and not through the prayers of Israel abroad:", "The idea is that man, through his prayer, carves out fiery sparks. This reality is the secret of the rectification that is formed and fixed in the atmosphere of the world. It does not depart from the illuminated world until the end of the prayer, until after \"Alenu L'Shabbe'ach,\" and this rectification adorns the air in an orderly and embellished manner. Afterwards, when it is entirely painted and arranged together, it rises in the air of the world from one firmament to another until the entrance of the hall of the sapphire. As mentioned in the Zohar, Pekudei, where the hall, standing there in the first firmament, is mentioned until the end of all the congregations of Israel and all their prayers. Then, in that firmament, all the prayers of Israel will gather together, connect, and ascend there, as mentioned in the Zohar.", "Certainly, one should be meticulous about this delay that they should wait until all the prayers of Israel are gathered, especially when Israel is on their own land. In the Land of Israel, one does not anticipate sunrise in one city before another by less than half an hour, as the Land of Israel is somewhat like a cow's hide. Therefore, it is possible to wait. However, now that Israel is scattered in the four corners of the world, if we say that they should wait, many prayers will be delayed during the early hours of the eastern dawn over the western, and it amounts to about twelve hours. This results in a mixing of prayers because during the western dawn, it is sunset in the east, and then they have the evening prayer. If so, how will this matter be resolved? If we say that they should not wait for each other, then the supreme unity will occur several times because one community will unite now, and another an hour later, and another after that, and so on, continuously uniting and moving. In this way, it becomes difficult because the supreme watches are fixed for evening and morning. So, how will it be when, sometimes, some have night, and others have dawn? In this way, it becomes difficult for the rest on the Sabbath, with some observing it and others working. How will this matter be resolved? In Sefer Yesod Olam (by יצחק בן יוסף הישראלי), in the second article of the sixteenth essay, this matter was addressed, and it was explained by prominent rabbis, as mentioned [elsewhere].", " Indeed, Rabbi Moshe Cordovero (of blessed memory) wrote, and I say regarding this matter, that all this falls under what our sages of blessed memory explained: that the Israelites standing in the diaspora worship idols in purity. They intended by this that the divine governance is not conducted based on the sunrise in the east or the west, not the north or the south, but rather on specific points in the Land of Israel, chosen for settlement, with the opening of the Hall of the Sapphire facing them. The sunrise in the Land of Israel signifies the morning for the morning watch, and the evening in the Land of Israel signifies the night for the rule of the night. In this way, the watches will be governed. The number of days will not be lessened or increased compared to what the physical sun and moon constitute in the Land of Israel. We should not be concerned about the appearance of the moon in the diaspora, or if it does not appear because the main focus is on the Land of Israel. There, the court establishes and sanctifies new months, holidays, and times, and the Holy One, blessed be He, agrees with them and sanctifies. In the diaspora, they do not establish, and if they establish, they do not sanctify because they lack substance. The Sabbath day in the Land of Israel is the essence of everything since the rest of the Sabbath depends on the spread of the sanctity of the Sabbath through the entrance of this hall downward, which is in the Land of Israel, as mentioned above. The Holy One, blessed be He, skillfully arranged the movements of the celestial sphere with His wisdom, chose the designated place facing the celestial sphere, and it lacks nothing and has no excess. This designated place is the Land of Israel. The prayers are not delayed for each other except in the Land of Israel specifically, and not in any other place. This is because the Land of Israel is crucial for the matter of uniqueness, and uniqueness occurs not frequently, but only at one specific time, which is the hour of unity when being with the Lord in the Land of Israel. This is the time when they complete and rectify their prayers, as it is the time of uniqueness.", "indeed, the light of uniqueness emanates from this central point to all the ministerial levels where the Israelites are found, as sparks of the Divine Presence spread upon them in the secret of the exile of the Divine Presence. The diffusion of this uniqueness is brought about by the prayers of the Israelites residing there. They do not unify the times of uniqueness but the appointed time within the jurisdiction of the minister under whose authority they are subjugated. These are the worshipers of idols in purity, who do not unite in the uniqueness of the higher time but in the uniqueness of the time of the external ministers. However, in the sanctity of the Divine Presence that clothes itself in that minister's domain.", "And in this manner, the sanctity of the Sabbath precedes or delays for them based on the emanation of the Divine Presence that clothes itself there, even though this Sabbath is not real but a central point where the true cessation occurs. Despite all this, rest is attributed to the side of the emanation that spreads or delays their rest. In this way, festivals may be delayed or advanced based on the sunrise or sunset of the flesh. However, the Sages established two festivals, and the second day is called the second festival of the diaspora, certainly in the secret of the diaspora, and the emanation of the Divine Presence that spreads in it caused the second day. Yet, they did not do so for the Sabbath because the cessation of the Sabbath is agreed upon by the external forces, and they are not satisfied with it because even Gehenna rests, and the ministers rest with a delay or advancement based on the sunrise of the sun, whether they are near or far. However, they do not acknowledge the festival days, and they are satisfied with their sanctity. Therefore, one must distinguish between day and day, and they are two festival days. The first one is from the Torah, clothed in the rabbinic day, as holy light clothes itself in the light of exile." ] ], "Maayan 4": [], "Maayan 5": [], "Maayan 6": [], "Maayan 7": [ [ " Explaining the Secret of \"Who can make the pure from the impure\":", "Indeed, the Infinite is distant from all substances, from all multiplication, deficiency, law, and the like. The question arises for all of them: Where did the deficiency come from? Where did the multiplication come from? Where did the purpose and limit come from? Up to this point for all of existence. These questions are only raised by those who affirm the primordial denials of creation ex nihilo. However, the assembly of God, the believers in creation ex nihilo, does not have a question about this at all because everything comes from nothing. Just as existence emerges from absolute nothingness, so does purity come from impurity. For indeed, existence being derived from nothing is more avoided than something coming from nothing until things become interchangeable. The question of multiplicity is also more avoided, as it is more elusive to derive existence from nothing than to derive two from one or a thousand from two. Therefore, we have escaped all these questions, and we, the believers, have not delved into the questions themselves but rather based on the truth of the matter itself.", "And now, it is stated, \"Know that absence is not as people have thought, that absence is nothing, heaven forbid. Rather, the primordial nothingness, meaning the Infinite alone, has no place for any absence, for it is itself all of existence, and there is no absence, heaven forbid. For absence is only considered when you depict the existence and portray the place of the existence and its absence. However, if you depict the Infinite alone, it is He and there is none besides Him. Indeed, He fills all of existence, and there is no emptiness that would have absence in it, heaven forbid. If the Infinite is depicted alone, He is Himself, and there is nothing besides Him. He fills all of existence, and there is no emptiness that would have absence in it, heaven forbid. So, depict that all of existence is simple, and it is the essence and the true existence that will never be absent and in which all of existence is present, lacking nothing. Do not let it enter your mind to say that this completeness, which does not have absence and will never lack, heaven forbid, is the existing, sustaining, never-lacking, never-absent essence. Indeed, it is the existing essence that stands forever and will never be absent, yet it clothes, conceals, and hides its essence. The revealed waves of intellect reveal approximately its primordial essence. It stands and exists without adding or subtracting to or from the existence of this intellect that comes into being and renews itself, called \"nothing,\" neither before its existence, called \"intellect,\" nor after its existence, called \"existent.\" This intellect that brought itself into clothing is not external to it, for it was none other than it. Rather, it is truly its concealed and hidden power, standing by itself, emerging from itself. Behold, this intellect, the clothing called \"existent,\" is approximately equivalent to what preceded, which was nothingness. However, it is not in the sense of the absence that was, for it and its knowledge are one. In this, you will settle in your heart all doubts and understand. And this is the intended meaning.\n" ], [ "River 2 - To explain from where the body and matter originated", "This question, researchers have asked, and they said that from the shape, material is not drawn, and for this reason, they spoke about God aimlessly. However, they thought that they knew the shapes and materials, and for this reason, they stumbled and did not know and did not understand, they would walk in darkness. Because they thought that the form is not complex but simple, and for this, they foolishly considered it. They also thought that the rain from the sky is simple, and with this, they reached what they reached. Now, our sages have explained that they are called \"shamayim\" (heavens), which are made of fire and water. And to this extent, they thought about the upper existences that are simple, and they did not stand on the secret of God but are indeed composed. The soul and the spirit and the breath are composed of four spiritual elements, as it is written, 'From the four winds, come, O breath!' as mentioned in the book of Shemot. Moreover, the living creatures of holiness are living beings composed of four spiritual elements, and each one includes all of them. Also, the holy throne has four foundations, which are the four spiritual elements: kindness of water, strength of fire, beauty of wind, and sovereignty of earth. There are also other foundations rooted in the depths of understanding, and they ignore them.", "Now it should be said that in this manner, the concept of existence will spread and descend from Atzilut to Beriah, from Beriah to Yetzirah, and from Yetzirah to Asiyah, by the will of the desires to spread the actions. As they descend, they take the form of shape and matter because the Ein Sof (Infinite) is the shape to Atzilut, and Atzilut is the vessel and matter to the sublime shape, metaphorically speaking. Atzilut is the shape to Beriah, and Beriah is the matter to Atzilut. Yetzirah is the matter to Beriah, and Beriah is the shape to Yetzirah. Yetzirah is the shape to Asiyah, and Asiyah is the matter to Yetzirah. They will descend from Eilah (upper) to Alul (lower) from shape to shape, and they are matter to shape, and shape to matter, until the matters reach from existence to existence with a purpose directed in proportion and weight and measure, for each existence, there is a measure of its existence, and a place of its standing, and its matter, and all are measured by the Emanator through the secret of essences and vessels. They will spread from the Supreme Will, and will first come out from His simple unity with will. From there, they will descend from existence to existence until they reach the place of their standing. There is nothing that will not be matter for what is above it, and there is nothing that will not be a shape for what is below it. We, however, at the lower end, perceive these lower materials and are indifferent to the upper shapes. Therefore, this difficulty arises for us. But in the reality of truth, there is no difficulty at all, as mentioned and explained." ], [ "River 3 - To explain the secret of the existence of the Klipah (husk):", " The matter is that any transfer from one existence to another, the permissible, when the change comes from light to water and from water to firmament, will occur. The concept is that the upper emanations follow their order from emanation to action, and the main ones are Chesed, Gevurah, and Tiferet. These three are the foundation and basis for the other emanations. In Chesed, there is a thin light, and when Gevurah spreads, it becomes denser, like water that is denser than light and is approximately like the firmament that thickens within the water. The impurity that does not spread does not thicken, and it remains stagnant water below the firmament. By this, you should understand that the guidance will spread from the emanations of Atzilut to the emanations of Beriah, and there will be a light of water in the firmament. Everything that we call in Atzilut will become similar to it below in Beriah, and later, the same will happen in Yetzirah. Through this, the externalities will be permitted, and the secret of the permissible will descend to the outside.", "And behold, their upper existence is not an external essence at all, but an existence rooted in roots that are established. Just as any existence guided by the descending entities and necessary for creation is rejected, so too the very secret of this root, which is not proper to conduct the secrets of governing and the conclusions of might in it, is rejected. Also, creation is rejected because the world should not be judged based on the roots of might and the permissible ones in the throne. Likewise, in the formation, until their existence descends from one existence to another, until it reaches the secret of their existence downward to the place where the permissible one performs its action, namely the external one, according to this, they truly fulfill their function in their place. They are rooted in creation, and the root whose root is in creation, and the root whose root is in emanation. Now, when they act downward, they will only act by grasping one existence in another, root in root, until they overcome from the perspective of the exalted degrees. And thus" ], [ "River 4 - To explain the matter of the Kelipot and their essence:", "Just as the Holy Koma (Divine Measurements), which, with its specific elements, is encompassed by the four foundations (yesodot), meaning the secret of the ten Sefirot included in the four letters [of the Teragrammaton], so too, the externals (Chiztonim) themselves, with their specific measurements, are encompassed by the four foundations. These are the four Kelipot, literally four foundations. The foundation of water is the water inclined to white, its power is to induce laziness and lethargy and to cause sin in this matter concerning humanity, meaning the secret of a great cloud. The foundation of fire is the bitterness that embitters the world with its bitterness and burns the world with its fire, from which comes the secret of the fire of Gehenna, namely the consuming fire. The third foundation is the wind, a stormy wind coming from the north that stirs the entire world. The fourth is the black, dark, dark earth, the barren land, as it is said: \"A pit that is empty of water.\" Behold, these moistnesses rule over all four foundations in the world to do harm. Similarly, they rule over man, and from there come to man bad and persistent illnesses under the rule of these over his existence. This is in the sense that they rule over the entirety of the world and over Israel in their exile, over man in his illness. This is also explained in the Tikunnim.", "And know that holiness is undoubtedly a very precious thing, not easily found by a person except after much effort, and it is easy to lose. For if a person were to awaken with a holy spirit all his days, in a brief moment, he would descend to the utmost. Behold, David said, \"For as a handbreadth between me and death,\" meaning that even though he was attached to an upper measure, he descended in his vacillation and went out, oscillating until reaching a level where there remained nothing between him and death except as a very thin matter, even though he stood in his purity. He also said, \"My soul is nearly like the shadow,\" nearly with a great taste, nothing remained between him and a similar level except a very small thing because holiness is very precious to attain, and it is very easy to be lost. Conversely, in this respect, one who is attached to the evil inclination will not easily return to separation. How far and how different are those who descend compared to those who ascend, as this cursed one who adheres to a person does not separate easily, and once this cursed one attaches to a person, for several years, it clings to him until he separates completely from it. This is because it is easy to be found, ready for a person immediately, even if he is not pursuing it, it is found immediately and it presents itself to him. Those who prepare themselves for it, even more so. Therefore, these externals are called \"Eloh,\" the signs, \"These are your gods, O Israel,\" meaning those that a person points to with his finger, prepares himself for, and for this reason, they are called these externals. However, holiness is very hidden, a hidden matter of God, not found and not readily available. ", "The reason is that the harlot, being unguarded, is found everywhere. If she is sitting in her seat, she sits at the entrance of her house, walking sometimes outside and sometimes in the streets. Whoever seeks her immediately finds a woman before him. However, holiness is not like this because it is a king's daughter sitting in her house, hidden, and the pursuer must traverse many very difficult paths until entering the king's palace, to the room with his daughter, who is not found by everyone, and not everyone gains access to her. Those who do, go through several levels and considerable effort. The reason is that the substance that was embedded in man by the sin of the first man caused holiness to disappear from him, and the external one immediately jumps on him. In a trivial matter, the external is attained, and one defiles oneself. Thus, man's nature is very distant from the holy side, in terms of substance and the nature that was embedded in him from the time he donned garments of skin, literally from the skin of the serpent. He stripped the serpent of its skin because the serpent was the king in this material world when man sinned and brought about the expulsion of the serpent from its place. The divine presence was also expelled with it, and when the serpent was expelled, it shed its skin and was deprived of its dominion, preventing it from confusing the world (God forbid). If it had retained the same control over matter as before the sin of the first man, it would have made garments of skin for man from this material, which the serpent shed.", "And so, the hands of man have several forces of angelic divine spirit shining upon them from beneath their wings. Meaning, below these camps altogether, they spread throughout the world to assist those who repent. Those who repent from their sins are stripped of the foreign garment they wore in their transgressions to elevate them to the place where the Sabbath of the King stands. This is after being on duty in the service for several days and years. As they said, \"One who comes to purify, they assist him,\" meaning that they send their maidens to him. However, one who comes to defile, they immediately open for him the holy steps within which he is making openings from all sides. They do not assist him in doing evil (God forbid); rather, he throws himself down from above to below. Anything heavy that ascends can easily throw itself down and descend. As soon as he descends, the external one jumps upon him. Outside, several external forces assist him in doing evil, and all their desire is to commit adultery with him. This is also assistance from their side." ], [ "River 5 - To explain the secret of the operation of the klipah and the defect:", "Know that since the main purpose of our work is to distinguish the Chitzoni [external forces of evil] from the holy, and this is the fundamental reason for the prohibition of \"You shall not do\" in the Torah, and since they are completely separated, it cannot be said that their actions themselves are without divine supervision (God forbid). They have no action except from within the holiness. Therefore, it is explained in the corrections that they are inferior crowns, they are the klipot to the ten spheres, and the ten spheres are the brains within themselves. The idea is that when guilt prevails among human beings below, the holiness will clothe itself in these klipot, and they will not be supervised by the holy. Instead, guidance will come to them from these external forces, so that their harm will not reach above, similar to the klipah on the tree that serves to protect it from all damage. Similarly, these (klipot) guard the holiness. This is what is meant by \"And they are inferior crowns; they are klipot to the ten spheres.\" When harm comes to human beings, it does not come from the holiness but from these guardians on the side of holiness, ensuring that they do not sin with their souls.", "The second [reason] is that they have no action independent of the supreme holiness at all because the supreme holiness is the one that enacts punishments. However, they (the klipot) bring judgments to human beings through these in the sense that the pure holy ones have no punishments, only decrees, and the punishments stem from the external forces. There is no action in reality that is not from the holy because these are lifeless bodies with no good in their hands. However, their action from the side of holiness, which is the soul, operates within them. They cannot perform their actions except through the internal brain within them. This is expressed in \"And ten spheres are its brain within itself,\" meaning the spread of ten sparks to act in them. This means that it is said: \"And His kingdom rules over all,\" indicating that they only act under the supreme judgment", "There is a third aspect, that they actually become a barrier to separate and block the gates so that the supplications [of the righteous] will not enter until they receive their punishment. At that time, Israel is in great distress. This is expressed in the statement, \"For your sins have separated between you and your God.\" Although it is said, \"No evil will befall you,\" our sages of blessed memory explained that evil will not befall you from above. However, the Holy One, blessed be He, and His divine presence spread among the lower beings to guide them, through the garment that is known. It is further emphasized to say, \"No evil will befall you,\" specifically in the way of exile. However, through a worldly path, it may rise at times, as mentioned, and even Satan may come, as stated: \"And Satan came also among them.\" This is expressed in the boast of the axe against the one who wields it, where they are only tools of destruction, but the hand that wields it is from above, as mentioned. Therefore, it is a commandment upon us to nullify their actions entirely so that the King and Queen will spread from these garments....", "A parable for the matter of the klipot is as follows: It is like a wise doctor who has a patient who became insane. The remedy for him is to inflict upon him severe and cruel beatings. The compassionate doctor, being wise, instructs to seek a merciless person who is also foolish to beat the insane until he is healed. Now, there are three opinions here: The wise doctor's opinion, which is merciful and instructs to administer all those beatings in order to heal the insane. The opinion of the foolish one being beaten, who judges according to his foolishness, claiming that there is no cruelty greater than the cruelty of the doctor who instructs to beat him. This is a lie, as the doctor pursues every means of healing to benefit the patient. The opinion of the one delivering the beatings, who has no intention other than to act cruelly according to his evil nature. He beats anyone he finds without considering any benefit. These three opinions are as follows: The first one is the higher intention and the governance of the laws from above, where everything is directed towards the necessity. The second one is the judgment of the person being judged, and all his benefit—if he had not strayed, there would be no need for this at all. The insanity of the one being beaten directly causes him to be beaten, namely, the evil inclination that sins. The third is the one delivering the beatings, the external forces that cause a person to sin and then strike him mercilessly because he is pursued by impurity." ], [ "River 6 - to clarify the secret of the Kelipot", "Know that just as holiness derives strength from human actions, so too Chitzoniot [the external forces of evil] truly draws strength from humans and their deeds. While holiness is genuine and unique, and wickedness is falsehood and separation, how the Divine Presence adorns itself with the deeds of humans, and how it corrects humans facing inner turmoil with rebukes for sin, it is found that it does not adorn its face downward but upward, as Moses did with the people of Israel, for below he showed them a face of anger and above he said, 'And He relented concerning the evil for your people.' Remember Abraham, remember their love and kindness. The upper countenance is good for Israel; thus, the actual countenance of the Divine Presence above teaches their merit and says, 'See, these have done such and such commandments.' However, below, the opposite is said, all judgment and all faces are wrathful. This is truly the way of the Divine Presence – bringing troubles upon the righteous, chastising them, and showing them a face of anger, adorning itself with their deeds above.\" And the cursed, impure, harlot is not so; rather, she shows them adorned faces, sweetens wickedness and transgression for them. She tells evil that it is good and good that it is evil, showing them faces. She takes from their deeds and shows them to her husband, saying to him, \"Go up to bring anger, for they have done such and such evil deeds, continue the slaughter, sword and destruction.\" Her husband becomes bitter, angered by the bitter bitterness she throws upwards, immediately becoming cruel, rising, accusing, descending, and taking a soul. Indeed, the way of the deceitful one is found to be so; she adorns herself for strangers and despises her husband, giving him nothing but remnants of calamity. This is the analogy. " ], [], [ "River 8 - To explain the nature of the evil inclination and the good inclination:", "Let us elucidate the essence of the evil inclination and the good inclination. The matter, in general, is that the arousal of Samael (סיים) occurs, and his spark spreads, touching this material and kindling it until he desires to seduce it. This is illustrated metaphorically by the mentioned harlot in the Zohar, portion Terumah. There is power in human hands to choose good and reject evil.", "Just as the evil inclination is the arousal of Samael, and it has a presence in a person, entering into him, and that presence touching him is called the \"Yetzer Hara,\" half of which is bound to matter and half is bound to Samael between his horns. So too, the good inclination is the arousal of the Divine thread of purity that extends from the Creator to the person. Half of it is bound above to the horns of the Creator's glory, and half is bound to the intellect of the person and his soul. This means that a person can strengthen either the good or the evil inclination within him. If he continues his attachment to the Creator, he will strengthen the good inclination, and this thread will become as thick as the rope of a heifer, increasing the arousal of his Creator. However, if Samael adds strength to his name, like a mighty man, and anyone greater than his fellow, his evil inclination becomes greater than him, and the wicked one cuts the thread of the cords of kindness and mercy of his Creator. He grabs the thornbush, the horns of the wicked Samael. Nevertheless, there remains in him the counsel of the good inclination. Once a day or twice, sparks of repentance awaken in his heart, as mentioned in the Zohar. If he has understanding, he will grasp onto the thread of repentance. The good inclination will return to its place, and this is why the good inclination is called the great sailor, the leader guiding the ship with the counsel of the Creator. It awakens through the arousal of the secret of the light of Atzilut, spreading from Beriah to Yetzirah. This explains the matter of the good and evil inclinations and their roots. This is the analogy." ], [ "River 9 - To explain the nature of the evil inclination (Yitzer Harah), the demons, and the aspects of the soul:", "The concept is that there is a soul in a person from the realm of nobility, and it is called the daughter of the Holy One, blessed be He. There is also a soul from the realm of creation, called a maidservant, and there is a soul lower than creation, called the common maidservant. Similarly, the evil inclination has several levels, for it is below the levels of holiness, meaning below the chamber of the white sphere, descending from there, and it has various aspects based on their proximity to holiness and their distance. Some are from the realm of pleasant secrets, like a tough husk, and there is another aspect, as will be explained.The concept is that there is a soul in a person from the realm of nobility, and it is called the daughter of the Holy One, blessed be He. There is also a soul from the realm of creation, called a maidservant, and there is a soul lower than creation, called the common maidservant. Similarly, the evil inclination has several levels, for it is below the levels of holiness, meaning below the chamber of the white sphere, descending from there, and it has various aspects based on their proximity to holiness and their distance. Some are from the realm of pleasant secrets, like a tough husk, and there is another aspect, as will be explained.The evil inclination was created to serve the soul, just as the serpent was created to serve humanity. This is similar to the husk of the walnut, which serves to protect the inner brain. Likewise, the evil inclination serves the soul as a ready tool for its work. It is also referred to as a servant, as it is written, \"Spoiling his servant from youth.\" The evil inclination forces the soul to clothe itself in the body willingly acquired. Each person has an evil inclination, called a demon, residing in their body, tempting them. It is indeed a demon, as the evil inclination and the demons share the same origin. Thus, this evil inclination, based on its origin, is prepared for worldly matters. Therefore, every person has their own evil inclination, which is called a demon within their body, leading them to sin. It is certainly a demon, as the evil inclination and the demons share the same origin. Thus, this evil inclination, based on its origin, is prepared for worldly matters. Hence, some individuals have pure material, ready for all uses, while others have impure material – all depending on the nature of the evil inclination from which it originates.", "...When the soul clothes itself in the secret of spirit and soul within the evil inclination, and the evil inclination in the body, there is no doubt that the soul, possessing the ten faculties, is certainly complete, and therefore it is Yud (10). As the soul prevails over the evil inclination, purifies it, brings it into holiness, and subjugates it to the service of the Name, let us now speak about this evil inclination, which is called the Jewish demon. At that point, the soul and the evil inclination unite through the intermediaries of spirit and soul. The evil inclination is purified by that soul, turning it into an angel. This means that it becomes a \"Shadai\" through that soul, specifically through the numerical value of Metatron, which is 314. If, God forbid, the opposite happens, and the soul is led astray by the evil inclination, not only will the soul and spirit be lost due to the evil inclination, but also the soul itself will incur excision, and conversely, the evil inclination causes the soul to become a demon. This is why the wicked are known to be harmful.", "And know that the evil inclination influences a person through the secret of the klipah (husk) close to the brain, as mentioned elsewhere. Due to its proximity, it has the power to purify itself, draw closer, and enter the realm of holiness. This is how the evil inclination can become the good inclination because it has a sweet root. This is analogous to how tormosin (a type of date) are sweetened, as Solomon knew, and it all depends on the skill of the practitioner.Understand that the klipah itself, without the influence of holiness, has some potential. Everything is according to the evil inclination's design, as some evil inclinations are ready to accept all wisdom and desire it, while others are coarse and lust for physical pleasures and ugly traits. This aligns with what our sages explained about simple demons being derived from the klipot. They lack human composition, yet some possess wisdom, indicating that the klipah itself has inherent qualities, nature, and desire.", "When the evil inclination revolves smoothly in a person from this klipah, he easily becomes wise in Torah. He becomes a Torah scholar due to his refined and close connection to knowledge. If he is not interested in engaging with Torah and matters of holiness, at the very least, he becomes wise in external wisdom, such as natural things and the like. These are things he can boast about before people, as the evil inclination only entices him with the pursuit of wisdom. This is because the evil inclination's chiseling comes from the refined chisel that desires wisdom....", "And know that there are three types of demons themselves: scholars, philosophers, and the like who are not connected to the soul. Some adhere to the soul, Torah scholars who engage in the study of God's Torah. The evil inclination transforms from a snake to a minister (metatron), as mentioned. Others among the demons themselves are like animals, not pursuing anything except harm and corruption, ignorant of anything, due to the malicious nature of their chisel. Their dullness and thickness make them uninterested in any wisdom; they only pursue food, drink, and indulgence.", "When the evil inclination, from this aspect, influences humans, there are two types: those who repent, tough Torah scholars, with deep analysis and understanding, coarse in their intellect, putting in great effort to achieve little, bearing the burden of their work like a heavy load. Eventually, they break free from the coarse husk. They struggle to purify themselves from various negative traits and undergo multiple hardships. Some are not repentant and are ignorant. They are the common people, their traits are negative, they hate the Torah and those who engage in it, they do not love the pursuit of wisdom, they have negative traits, and they delight in indulgence. However, the aspect of the repentant ones is as mentioned. This is the explanation." ], [ "River Ten- To explain the secret of the portion given to the husk (klipah):", "Understand that holiness and the husk (klipah) are adversaries, and there is absolutely no way in the world for them to coexist. Unlike in other parts of the universe, where everything complements and interconnects, benefiting from the divine radiance, the husk cannot coexist with holiness. The only options are for all to succumb to the husk, and the divine radiance (Shechina) will withdraw, leaving only the lowest world. This final confrontation is compelled and subdued under the husk. This is the secret of offering sacrifices to foreign worship, pouring libations, and other forbidden practices. In essence, all aspects of holiness withdraw from there, and then, empowered by the force of that sacrifice, the husks commit robbery and defile holiness. They breach the realm of angels and cause various evils.", "And this is because it is necessary to know that the [sefirah of] Malchut (Kingdom) is the attribute that governs the world with justice and righteousness. Therefore, it desires those wicked individuals who are the husks (klipot) to afflict and chastise human beings. They are called plagues upon humanity and the staff of men, and they are a stumbling block and a rock of offense. According to the explanation, they travel and camp near the impure, punishing those who deviate from the right path. After that, the kingdom is obligated to provide for their sustenance, and they demand their sustenance from it, as it is written: \"The young lions roar for prey,\" and it is written: \"She rises while it is still night; she provides food for her household, a portion for her maidservants.\" They are fed daily with their allotted food. However, when sins and transgressions are found, they divide the spoil more and more until they cause a blockage in the holy channel and open a source of impurity. The place where the blood of valor was pure becomes milk, and their plundered breasts become blocked, turning the blood into impurity. Severe judgment is then difficult to impose on the wicked, and at that point, Joseph flees and goes outside, but they hold on to it. This is the exile of the Divine Presence, and then there cannot be any unity in holiness. Heaven forbid.", "Also, know that when a person brings an offering in its proper and appropriate holy place, there is no doubt that the husks (klipot) derive no benefit there whatsoever. Even in a place called by the name of holiness, it has no hold at all unless, as mentioned in the Zohar, one is careful to mention the name of God and words of holiness in matters where the husk is removed. If, God forbid, they are mentioned in any matter in the world, even a broken word, they will seize that word or that matter, especially to say that this matter belongs to a certain demon. Many people say that this is truly like offering to idolatry. When a person does something of holiness, these evil forces, once they see that they have no hold either in speech or in action, rise above jealousy, where all forces are connected, and it is separated like a leper. It rises, goes, and accuses that offering or that joy. Therefore, it is necessary to give a portion to the klipah. The incident of Abraham during the festive meal of the calf, which brought about the binding of Isaac as explained in the Zohar, teaches that the klipah will not move away from before the Holy One, Blessed be He, until Isaac is sentenced to death. All this is caused by this evil if a portion is not given to it. This matter requires much understanding, for it is impossible to reconcile between them since they are adversaries to each other, as mentioned. Were it not for the wisdom of the Torah, which, in its command, has arranged to give it a portion, they would not have been reconciled.", "And behold, the part given to the shell, the first is the goat given to Azazel. The second is the scapegoat. The third is the hair of tefillin. The fourth is the final waters. The fifth is circumcision in the dust. The sixth is the hair of menstruation and its nail, as mentioned in the Zohar. The seventh is the fruits of the uncircumcised tree. The eighth is the fruit of the festival. The ninth is the confession in sacrifice. The tenth is the flesh of the body that will decay in the dust, as mentioned in the Zohar in the verse 'The fool embraces his flesh.' The eleventh is the washing of hands from the bathroom and sleep, and there are many, and the intention in all of these is to distinguish, so that one does not engage in holiness and does not provoke, for in that part, there is joy and happiness, and it does not demand anything at all unless they initiate it with speech or action as mentioned, or in thought, such as in sacrifice or a commandment not for its own sake.", "And behold, in this, there are several aspects, although, according to the general principle, they are two: one to give it impurity alone, and in this category is the Azazel goat, to which the name impurity of sins is given, and holiness is purified. Similarly, the final waters, as a person is drawn after food and wants to bless for holiness so that it does not have a share there, one gives it the impurity of the hands, which is the material desire that he ate with and wiped with his hands. Also in this category is the confession on the sacrifice. Similarly, in this category is the water for the washing of the bathroom, which is the removal of the husks from the body, which is the permissible that is expelled. In the bathroom, the spirit of impurity rules, and it rests in his hands when he enters there. It is necessary to give it that portion of wiping and remove it from his hands. Also in this category is the morning handwashing, which, through sleep, the spirit of impurity rests there, and one gives it its portion and purifies.", "The second part is to give it [a portion] from holiness itself, namely the fruit of the festival, and similarly, the scapegoat for Rosh Hashanah, and also the hair of tefillin. This category is not intended to share it with holiness but to give it a portion there outside, within the cavity of the great abyss, and not to mix the portion of holiness at all. This is to avoid confusion between the portion of holiness and the portion of impurity. And so it is said." ] ] }, "Breichat Avraham": [] }, "versions": [ [ "Sefaria Community Translation", "https://www.sefaria.org" ], [ "chat gpt", "chat gpt" ] ], "heTitle": "חסד לאברהם", "categories": [ "Kabbalah", "Other Kabbalah Works" ], "schema": { "heTitle": "חסד לאברהם", "enTitle": "Chesed LeAvraham", "key": "Chesed LeAvraham", "nodes": [ { "heTitle": "הקדמה", "enTitle": "Introduction" }, { "heTitle": "אבן שתיה", "enTitle": "Even Shetiya", "nodes": [ { "heTitle": "עין כל", "enTitle": "Maayan 1" }, { "heTitle": "עין הקורא", "enTitle": "Maayan 2" }, { "heTitle": "עין הארץ", "enTitle": "Maayan 3" }, { "heTitle": "עין יעקב", "enTitle": "Maayan 4" }, { "heTitle": "עין משפט", "enTitle": "Maayan 5" }, { "heTitle": "עין גנים", "enTitle": "Maayan 6" }, { "heTitle": "עין גדי", "enTitle": "Maayan 7" } ] }, { "heTitle": "בריכת אברהם", "enTitle": "Breichat Avraham" } ] } }