12. "And Hashem spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron" (Vayikra 16:1): Rabbi Chizkiyah opened the discussion saying, "Therefore, thus says Hashem concerning the house of Jacob, who redeemed Abraham..." (Yeshayah 29:22). This verse is troublesome. It should read, 'Therefore, thus says Hashem, who redeemed Abraham.' Why does it say "Therefore, thus says Hashem concerning the house of Jacob, who redeemed Abraham?"

13. We have already learned that Jacob surely redeemed Abraham. At the time that ABRAHAM fell into THE FURNACE OF the Chaldeans' fire, his fate was being decided before the Holy One, blessed be He. In what merit should this one be saved as he lacks ancestral merits? THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, said TO THE COURT ON HIGH: 'He should be saved because of his sons.' As we have learned, a son can bring merits for his father. The others replied: But Ishmael will descend from him. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, 'But Isaac WILL DESCEND FROM HIM, who will extend his throat FOR THE SACRIFICE on the altar.' The others said: But Esau will derive from Isaac. THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, said, 'But Jacob will DESCEND FROM HIM, who is a whole throne, and all his sons are perfect before Me.' They concurred by saying: Surely for this merit, Abraham shall be rescued. Such is the meaning of, "who redeemed Abraham."

17. At that hour, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the throne, WHICH IS MALCHUT, 'My throne, for which word, among all the words THEY UTTERED, should I save these righteous men?' It replied: For the word that all the others mocked, I would save them, NAMELY THE MERIT OF JACOB, "Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now grow pale," SO THEY WILL SEE THAT THEY WERE SAVED IN HIS MERIT. Just as THE MERIT OF Jacob stood fast when Abraham was cast into the fire, now it will stand fast for these - NAMELY HANANIAH, MISHAEL AND AZARIAH. This is what is written, "Thus says Hashem concerning the house of Jacob, who redeemed Abraham, Jacob shall not now be ashamed..." namely by the contempt and the mockery with which THE NATIONS AND NOBLES RIDICULED HIM.

146. Rabbi Yosi EXPLAINS THE WORDS OF RABBI YEHUDA, saying that with the light of day, all those who wail, MEANING THOSE DRAWN FROM THE LEFT COLUMN, SINCE FROM WHERE JUDGMENTS ARE DRAWN THEY WAIL CONSTANTLY. AND they praise with words of praise towards this morning, WHICH IS THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM, because with the stirring of this morning, they all find fragrance, and Judgment is stilled. Thus they say words of praise. This is what is written, "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of Elohim shouted for joy" (Iyov 38:7). At this time, joy and blessings are found in the world when the Holy One, blessed be He, stirs Abraham, FOR HE IS THE SECRET OF CHESED, to revive him, and take pleasure in him and make him ruler over the world. THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE RULE BY DAY. How do we know that this morning is of Abraham, NAMELY CHESED? From the verse, "And Abraham rose up early in the morning" (Beresheet 22:3).

147. At twilight, all of these 1,590 tens of thousands THAT ARE DRAWN THERE, ARE called those who lament. They sing at that time and dissent is then dominant in the world. That hour is when the Holy One, blessed be He, awakens Isaac, REPRESENTING THE LEFT COLUMN OF ZEIR ANPIN. He rises and judges the wicked that violate the words of the Torah. Seven rivers of fire - CORRESPONDING TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT - are drawn out and hover over the heads of the wicked, and a flame of fiery coals stirs from above downward. Then Abraham, THE SECRET OF CHESED, returns to his position, MEANING THAT CHESED RETURNS TO ITS SOURCE AND DISAPPEARS FROM THE ONES BELOW, as the verse says, "And Abraham returned to his place" (Beresheet 18:33). The day departs and the wicked in Gehenom cry out and say, "Woe to us! For the day declines, for the shadows of the evening are lengthened" (Yirmeyah 6:4). At that time, one should be prudent with the Minchah prayer.

184. Rabbi Chiya said: What is the reason that Jacob is MENTIONED first in the verse, AS IT READS, "THEN WILL I REMEMBER MY COVENANT WITH JACOB" AND LATER ISAAC AND LATER ABRAHAM? HE ANSWERS: Jacob, TIFERET, is the principal of the fathers, AS TIFERET ABSORBS WITHIN IT CHESED AND GVURAH, ALSO KNOWN AS ABRAHAM AND ISAAC. He is the holy tree, MEANING ZEIR ANPIN THAT INCLUDES ALL SIX ENDS. As such, the Vav of the Holy Name YUD HEI VAV HEI holds to him, so we pronounce Jacob with a Vav. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Vav FULLY SPELLED with all its letters HAS THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF THIRTEEN, NAMELY the thirteen attributes OF MERCY, AS JACOB, BEING ZEIR ANPIN, inherits the inheritance of the thirteen springs of the Holy sealed spring KNOWN AS ARICH ANPIN. FROM HIS BEARD ARE DRAWN THIRTEEN CORRECTIONS TO ZEIR ANPIN CALLED JACOB AND FOR THIS REASON, JACOB IS SPELLED WITH VAV.

385. The Hei OF THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI, BEING BINAH, is included in the Yud OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. It emerges from it, AS BINAH EMANATES FROM CHOCHMAH. Then CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, WHICH ARE YUD HEI OF YUD HEI VAV HEI crown the Patriarchs, MEANING CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN CALLED ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB. The Hei is opened with its streams, MEANING WITH THE FIFTY GATES OF BINAH IN IT, and crowns the head of the Vav, MEANING IT SUPPLIES THE FIRST THREE SFIROT TO ZEIR ANPIN, THE SECRET OF VAV OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, where the Patriarchs dwell. THIS MEANS THAT THE PATRIARCHS, CHESED, supernal GVURAH AND TIFERET, RISE AND BECOME HEAD - MEANING CHOCHMAH, BINAH AND DA'AT - THROUGH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE FIFTY GATES OF BINAH.