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."

145. "And he shall go out to the altar that is before Hashem, and make atonement for it" (Vayikra 16:18). Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion saying, "A psalm of Asaf. El, Elohim, Hashem, has spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof" (Tehilim 50:1). We have learned that 1,550 tens of thousands of singers sing to the Holy One, blessed be He, with the first light of day, and 1,548 with the FIRST LIGHT OF moon, MEANING NIGHT. Another 1,590 tens of thousands SING PRAISE at the time of twilight.

176. Rabbi Yehuda said that it is written, "And he shall go out to the altar that is before Hashem, and make atonement for it" (Vayikra 16:18). "To the altar" is WRITTEN without further qualification, HINTING AT THE CELESTIAL ALTAR, NAMELY THE SECRET OF YESOD OF MALCHUT. As it is done below, so it is done above. All is intertwined one with one THROUGH THE ALTAR THAT IS YESOD OF MALCHUT. We have learned that just as on this day the priest procures forgiveness here below, IN THE TEMPLE, so it is above. When the priest here performs his service, so does the celestial priest, REPRESENTING CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT POURS ABUNDANCE TO MALCHUT. There is no SERVICE above, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF CHESED POURING TO MALCHUT, until there is SERVICE OF THE PRIEST below, since the holiness of the supernal King starts to rise from below. All worlds are in one unity before the Holy One, blessed be He.

179. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'O Yisrael, if you would only know how many troops, how many hosts hold up THEIR SERVICE because of you ABOVE, you would have realized that you do not deserve to be in this world even one instant.' In spite of this, it is written, "And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away..." (Vayikra 26:44). THEREFORE, in "And he shall go out to the altar," "the altar" is written unspecified AND DOES NOT NECESSARILY INDICATE THE LOWER ALTAR IN THE TEMPLE. ALSO, "that is before Hashem," is again unqualified, NOT NECESSARILY IN THE TEMPLE. YET THE ALTAR ALLUDES TO THE SUPERNAL ALTAR, WHICH IS MALCHUT THAT IS BEFORE HASHEM, ZEIR ANPIN. Afterwards, it reads, "And make atonement for it," then "offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the people..." (Vayikra 16:24). HE ASKS: IF THE ALLUSION IS TO MALCHUT, then what is the meaning of, "And make atonement for it?" IS ATONEMENT APPLICABLE ABOVE? Rabbi Yosi said, "AND MAKE ATONEMENT FOR IT" MEANS to awaken Chesed in the world first.

247. We have studied that when one sins before his Master, Mercy is awakened if he offers his sacrifice on the altar and the priest attains forgiveness for him and prays his prayer for him. The Judgments are mitigated and repentance, NAMELY BINAH, pours out blessings in the springs that emerge and flow. All candles are blessed together, NAMELY THE SFIROT OF MALCHUT, and one is cleansed from his sin.

309. It is later written, "He has not dealt so with any other nation" (Ibid. 20). We have learned that even though he was circumcised, if he does not perform the commandments of the Torah he is to be considered an idolater throughout. It is thus forbidden to teach him the words of the Torah. We have learned that "you will make Me an altar of stone" (Shemot 20:22). This, CIRCUMCISION, is considered literally an altar of stone, MEANING IT SOFTENS HIS STONE HEART, but for he WHO IS CIRCUMCISED YET DOES NOT OBSERVE THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE TORAH, the hardness of his heart remains as is and the filth does not cease from him. For this reason, the circumcision did not succeed nor did it help him. Therefore, it is written, "For if you lift up your tool upon it, you have defiled it" (Ibid.). THIS MEANS THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU RAISED YOUR SWORD UPON IT, MEANING IF ONE IS CIRCUMCISED, YET DOES NOT OBSERVE THE COMMANDMENTS, "YOU HAVE DEFILED IT" - THE CIRCUMCISION BECOMES DEFILED AND IS TO NO AVAIL. THUS, IT IS PROHIBITED TO TEACH HIM TORAH.