17. When the human spirits exit from this world, many Accusers stand up about them and proclamations go out, both for their benefit and for their detriment, in accordance with the outcome of their trial; we are taught that a person is tried many times in this world, both during his lifetime and also afterwards, since all his words are through judgment. The Holy One, blessed be He, is always filled with compassion, and His mercy is over all, and He does not wish to judge people according to their deeds. This is what David said, "If You, Yah, should mark iniquities, Adonai, who could stand" (Tehilim 130:3). Here we must observe, since he said Yud-Hei. Why DID HE SAY IN ADDITION Adonai? IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT TO SAY, 'IF YOU, YAH, SHOULD MARK INIQUITIES, WHO COULD STAND.'

18. HE RESPONDS: It is because there are three levels of compassion that David mentions here, WHICH ARE YUD-HEI, ADONAI AND 'WHO.' "If You, Yah, should mark iniquities:" THAT IS ABA AND IMA REFERRED TO BY YUD-HEI AS EXPLAINED. If the iniquities are so many that they have ascended above to Aba and Ima, then it is "Adonai," which is Mercy. Although this name ADONAI is merciful, it will be aroused in judgment, and all the levels will be blocked through Judgment. Yet there is still one level that we can turn to, as all the remedies emanate from it, that one should have mercy on us. That one is 'WHO' THAT IS BINAH, "who could stand" FOR US assuredly, as it says, "Who can heal you" (Eichah 2:13). Therefore, if these TWO names, Yud-Hei Adonai, were sealed and hidden from him, "who could stand," because all the roads to repentance are open from it.

89. Therefore, whoever says the blessing AFTER THE MEAL over wine and reaches 'for the land' needs to add water to it, since he should not say the blessing of: 'Have mercy, Hashem, our Elohim, upon Yisrael, Your people' unless there is water added to that wine. THIS MEANS THAT, AS LONG AS THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH IN THE LEFT, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF WINE, IS NOT BLENDED WITH CHASSADIM THAT ARE ON THE RIGHT, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF WATER, THERE IS NO MERCY IN MALCHUT. AND IT IS EXCLUSIVELY JUDGMENT WITHOUT MERCY. If he does not POUR WATER INTO IT who could stand THE JUDGMENTS OF MALCHUT! That was what he, THE CHIEF WINE STEWARD, had to inform Joseph, WHO IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, since it was dependent on him, MEANING TO SAY THAT HE WAS THE ONE BESTOWING EVERYTHING ON MALCHUT.

124. The secret of this matter is written in the secret above: "What is His name and what is the name of His son, if you can tell" (Mishlei 30:4). That name is known: Hashem Tzva'ot is His name, WHICH IS BINAH, AS ALL THE LEGIONS (HEB. TZVA'OT) ARE HERS, the name of His son: that is, Yisrael is his name, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, CALLED 'YISRAEL,' as it is written: "Yisrael is My son, My firstborn" (Shemot 4:22). Here we have Yisrael with all the keys of the Faith, MEANING ALL THE LEVELS OF MALCHUT CONSIDERED FAITH, hanging from him - ZEIR ANPIN CALLED 'YISRAEL.' He praises himself and says, "Hashem has said to me, 'You are My son'" (Tehilim 2:7). THAT IS, YUD HEI VAV HEI THAT IS BINAH SAID TO ZEIR ANPIN, YOU ARE MY SON. And it is definitely so, since Aba and Ima, WHICH IS RIGHT AND LEFT OF BINAH THAT ARE CALLED 'YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH,' AND ALSO 'ABA' AND 'IMA,' have adorned ZEIR ANPIN and blessed Him with many blessings, SINCE ALL MOCHIN OF ZEIR ANPIN ARE FROM YISRAEL-SABA AND TEVUNAH. They commanded everyone to "worship (also: 'kiss') in purity (Heb. bar)" (Ibid. 12), meaning kiss the hand of this son (Aram. bar), THAT IS, ZEIR ANPIN, MEANING it is as if He gave him dominion over everything, so that all shall serve him. "Lest He be angry" (Ibid.), because ABA AND IMA have adorned him, ZEIR ANPIN, with Judgment and Mercy. Whoever deserves Judgment is for Judgment and whoever deserves Mercy is for Mercy.

228. The left is awakened instantly, pulls a string below, "and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see" (Beresheet 27:1). Whereas he observed PREVIOUSLY with a favorable eye, in the sense of Abraham, THAT IS CHESED, without any Judgment at all, now "his eyes were dim, so that he could not see." "See:" From seeing definitely, which means from looking at it with a sense of Mercy. Then there is an awakening of Samael in a strong voice to stir accusations on the world, as is said: "He called Esau, his eldest (bigger) son" (Ibid.). He is bigger, towards the camps of the Other Side he is great, and steers all the ships in the ocean that meet the evil wind, to sink them into the depth of his ocean.

229. When the Holy One, blessed be He, is in a state of Mercy, He hands him over all the sins and iniquities of Yisrael. He throws them into the depths of the sea, MEANING TO HIS CAMPS, since all his camps are called the depths of the sea. They take them and wander with them to all the rest of the nations. HE INQUIRES: Do the sins of Yisrael and their iniquities get thrown and divided to their nations? AND WHY SHOULD THEY DO THIS? HE RESPONDS: It is only because they wait and look for the gifts from above like dogs at the table. When the Holy One, blessed be He, takes all the sins of Yisrael and throws them to them, they all immediately think that the gifts and presents that were meant to be given to Yisrael were removed from Yisrael and were granted to them. Immediately, they all together throw them to all other nations.

259. HE RESPONDS: It is that righteousness is not the same as faithfulness. Even though they are all one and the same, and are of one level, MEANING MALCHUT, she is considered righteousness, which is the actual Judgment, during a period WHEN MALCHUT PERTAINS TO harsh Judgment and receives from the left side. That is: "For when Your judgments (lit. 'justices') are on the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness" (Ibid. 26:9). This level THAT IS CALLED 'justice' pertains to Mercy, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. When that justice is approaching righteousness, WHICH IS JUDGMENT, then THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is established and the world's inhabitants can withstand the Judgment of righteousness.

260. MALCHUT IS CALLED 'Faith' at the time that she is joined with truth, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, for happiness. All the faces are bright. Then MALCHUT is called 'Faith' and there is absolution for all, MEANING FORGIVENESS FOR INIQUITIES. She returns to all the souls of the wicked, WHICH ARE encumbered with many debts, with compassion and has mercy on them when they ascend and rise through committing, MEANING WHEN THEY SAY BEFORE THEIR SLEEP "INTO YOUR HAND I COMMIT MY SPIRIT" (TEHILIM 31:6). Then she is considered Faith and there is no Faith without truth, MEANING TO SAY THAT MALCHUT IS NOT CONSIDERED FAITH EXCEPT WHEN JOINED WITH ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED 'TRUTH.'

262. Because of that, for strength and war, IT IS SAID, "And righteousness shall be the girdle of his hips." That is how it should be, BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE VIRILITY OF A MAN IS. For compassion and goodness, it is said, "And faithfulness, the girdle of his loins." In one level, MESSIAH will judge the world, MEANING WITH MALCHUT, and it dominates both sides. One, WHICH IS FAITH, THE GIRDLE OF HIS LOINS, is compassion for Yisrael and one, WHICH IS RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE GIRDLE OF HIS HIPS, is judgment for the rest of the nations.

329. As soon as he heard about these children, he immediately ascended to the presence of the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, Master of the Universe, all Your ways are just and true. If there is any judgment that prevails upon Yisrael, that would be for their own sins. Why did You hand over their children, who have not sinned, to be killed? The Holy One, blessed be He, accepts thus his words and has compassion on them. At that time, IN YOM KIPPUR, children do not suffer from diphtheria.

331. When the prayers of Yisrael ascend on that day to the Holy One, blessed be He, what is written? "And he passed over before them" (Beresheet 33:3). Here, the Holy Spirit, THAT IS MALCHUT, passed in front of them, as it says, "And their king passed on before them" (Michah 2:13) and he definitely crossed over in front of them. "And bowed himself to the ground seven times" (Beresheet 33:3): the Holy Spirit, THAT IS MALCHUT, diminished itself towards the one above, ZEIR ANPIN, seven times, corresponding to the seven higher grades, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT OF ZEIR ANPIN, that are above it and diminished itself, to include them with it, each and every one. "Until he came near to his brother" (Ibid.), meaning to that level of Mercy THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS CONSIDERED THE BROTHER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH IS MALCHUT since they son and daughter TO BINAH, AND THEREFORE, THEY ARE BROTHERS. ZEIR ANPIN IS CALLED 'son,' as it says, "Yisrael is My son, My firstborn" (Shemot 4:22); THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN CONSIDERED YISRAEL. Daughter is the Congregation of Yisrael, MEANING MALCHUT. The Holy Spirit caused a diminishing of itself until its approach TO ITS BROTHER, ZEIR ANPIN.

352. Because it is a time of favor, the Holy One, blessed be He, looks to find merit for that person. If he is at prayer or he is repenting, He has compassion on him. At that time, the voice of nesting birds is heard, as it is written: "Where the birds make their nests" (Tehilim 104:17), because these birds thank and praise the Holy One, blessed be He. The morning gazelle woke up in the world said, "O how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You..." (Tehilim 31:20). Then the appointee OVER HEALING goes forth and does all that he is instructed to do.

366. Rabbi Yosi said to them, Friends, I was not given authority to reveal what I observed in that world, until twelve years later. However, the 365 tears that my son spilled came into account before the Holy King. And I tell you friends, at the time MY SON opened up with that verse MENTIONED ABOVE and cried out with these words, 300,000 benches that were in the Yeshivah of heaven were shaken. All THE SOULS stood before the Holy King and asked for compassion towards me, and guaranteed for me THAT I WOULD NOT SIN DURING THAT TIME. The Holy One, blessed be He, was filled with compassion for me.

408. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, 'Wicked one, you are hurrying and preparing your gear and hastening to leave My authority. I promise on your life, that you and your she-mule will remain in My control.' Soon, "the angel of Hashem stood" (Bemidbar 22:22). What is the meaning of: "stood?" Rabbi Aba said, He deviated from his usual skill and adopted another skill, because he was an angel of Mercy AND NOT OF JUDGMENT, AS BILAAM. That is what Rabbi Shimon meant when he said, 'The wicked transform Mercy into Judgment.' Therefore, it is written: "as an adversary" (Ibid.), BUT NOT FOR ANOTHER, because that was not his wont, SINCE HE WAS OF THE ATTRIBUTE OF MERCY.

410. We studied that Rabbi Shimon said, How much wiser Bilaam was with his witchcraft than other people in the world. When he was looking for an idea new to escape the jurisdiction of the Holy One, blessed be He, the words: "But only the word," he then took stock of his witchcraft but could not find anything besides this she-mule THROUGH WHICH HE COULD BE HELPED TO ESCAPE THE AUTHORITY OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. It is written: "And saddled his she-mule." He loaded his she-mule with all types of magic and sorcery with which he was familiar, put it on her and made her part of all of them in order to curse Yisrael. Instantly, "Elohim's anger burned because he went." "He" is specific, as we were taught THAT "HE" INDICATES THAT HE LEFT HIS JURISDICTION, AS MENTIONED EARLIER. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He put before him an angel of Mercy that would stall and oppose him, and confound his witchcraft and sorcery.

411. Come and see: Until now, it is not written Hashem, because it is not seen in his witchcraft and sorcery, as we have already explained. When he had prepared his she-mule and readied her with appropriate witchcraft, with the aspect of Judgment to curse Yisrael, the Holy One, blessed be He, prepared the angel of Mercy against him prior to that, and with the name of Mercy to confound his wisdom and to divert his she-mule from that direction, as it is written: "And the she-mule turned aside out of the way" (Bemidbar 22:23). "Out of the way" is precise, MEANING FROM HIS PATH OF WITCHCRAFT. That is why it does not say, 'The angel of Elohim,' but rather "the angel of Hashem," Which is Mercy.

412. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Wicked man, you have loaded your she-mule with your witchcrafts, with several aspects of judgments against My children. I will remove your load and remove you from this path.' Immediately, He advanced the angel of Mercy "as an adversary against him," "against him" is precise as we studied AND NOT AGAINST ANYONE ELSE, AS MENTIONED EARLIER.

427. "And the she-mule saw the angel of Hashem standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand" (Bemidbar 22:23). "In the way" means in that path into which he was sinking, THE WAY OF WITCHCRAFT AND SORCERY. "And his sword drawn in his hand:" HE ASKS, If his mission was against the she-mule, what need was there for the sword? If his intentions were against Bilaam, why did the see him but Bilaam was unable to perceive him? HE RESPONDS: It must be that his mission was intended against all, BOTH TO THE SHE-MULE AND BILAAM. The angel came before the she-mule to help her out from the way loaded on her, MEANING THE WITCHCRAFT AND SORCERY THAT WERE PLACED ON THE SHE-MULE. How DID HE RELIEVE HER? With compassion. And he stood against Bilaam to punish him for his intention to follow his own authority rather than a higher authority.

476. "Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion..." (Ibid. 24). Which nation is as strong as Yisrael? When the morning light breaks to shine, he rises and gains strength like a lion for the devotional service of his Master with many songs and praises, studying Torah all day. At night, he "shall not lie down until he eat of the prey" (Ibid.). When a person wishes to lie down on his bed, he sanctifies the Holy Name and proclaims Him King above and below. How many instigators of laws come together before them at the time they open their mouths on their bed with Sh'ma Yisrael, and beg for compassion before the Holy King with several verses of mercy.