295. Now you speak of the strong ones. The strong ones (Heb. eitanim) are below, DENOTING NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD, and mountains above DENOTE CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET. Be on guard, old man, as there is another thought that conflicts with yours, as written, "A maskil of Eitan the Ezrachite" (Tehilim 89:1), referring to old Abraham, called Eitan. So if Abraham is known as 'Eitan' then Isaac and Jacob must be referred to as eitanim (lit. 'strong ones') AND WE KNOW THAT THE FATHERS DENOTE CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET, FOR CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET ARE REFERRED TO AS 'STRONG.' Rise, old man, as you see that this thought conflicts with your thought.

296. "...And took up his discourse, and said, 'Strong is your dwelling place...'" (Bemidbar 24:21) 'Eitan' refers to the morning of Abraham, as written "As soon as the morning was light" (Beresheet 44:3). This refers to the pillar, DENOTING YESOD, that the entire earth, DENOTING MALCHUT, leans upon. Its light is received from Abraham, DENOTING CHESED. The river exiting Eden is so called, DENOTING YESOD, AND SO YESOD IS REFERRED TO AS 'EITAN.' HE SAID TO HIMSELF, Old man, one thought is in opposition to you, and you are unable to be on your guard. How can one wage war, old man, where is your strength? Surely "nor the battle to the strong" (Kohelet 9:11).

297. It is written "A maskil of Eitan the Ezrachite," and there is a verse, "A maskil of David," denoting the river that flows from Eden, ALLUDING TO YESOD, that clarifies David, REPRESENTING MALCHUT, to inform him of these concealed heavenly matters, AND SO YESOD BECOMES REFERRED TO AS 'MASKIL' (ENG. 'ERUDITE'). Now if maskil alludes to the river flowing from Eden, MEANING YESOD THAT IS BELOW, IN NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD, then Eitan the Ezrachite ALLUDES TO Abraham, whom I know to be above, WITH CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. And though I am an old man, I overcome this thought. BUT Eitan the Ezrachite points to two grades, as the verse says, "As soon as the morning was light." "Light" denotes Abraham, WHO IS CHESED; "morning" is the river, WHICH IS YESOD. So in relation to Eitan the Ezrachite, 'Ezrachite' alludes to Abraham and 'Eitan' is, as we said, that river flowing from Eden, NAMELY YESOD.

299. Furthermore, from your OWN words, SAYING THAT EITAN THE EZRACHITE REPRESENTS TWO LEVELS, you had better leave the field and not be found, for had the verse said, "A maskil Eitan the Ezrachite," then things would be FINE, since as you maintained, IT REPRESENTS TWO LEVELS. But now that it writes, 'A maskil of Eitan the Ezrachite,' your fight is meaningless, BECAUSE NOW IT APPEARS THAT IT IS ONE LEVEL, NOT TWO. Depart the field unwillingly, and do not be seen.

301. He commenced, it is written, "A maskil of Eitan the Ezrachite." Had it been written 'A maskil of David,' the explanation would have been as you said, REFLECTING YESOD THAT OFFERS BOUNTY TO MALCHUT, CALLED 'DAVID.' But IT IS WRITTEN "A maskil of Eitan." HE ANSWERS, There is maskil and there is maskil, a maskil on high and one below. Maskil of Eitan is to tell us when that river, YESOD, rises with yearning, all limbs rejoice and join with him. If it rises to the point that that supernal mind, CHESED BECOMING CHOCHMAH, is favored to him and rejoices in him, then you have a maskil of Eitan the Ezrachite. For it instructs (Heb. maskil) Eitan the Ezrachite, instructing YESOD, and informs him through Abraham his beloved, REPRESENTING CHESED THAT ROSE TO BECOME CHOCHMAH, with all that is necessary. That supernal mind, BEING CHOCHMAH, is maskil of Eitan, DENOTING YESOD. When king David, DENOTING MALCHUT, is established with yearning TO YESOD, YESOD informs (maskil) David, just as the supernal mind maskil TO YESOD. So there is maskil and maskil.

303. Rise, old man, strike out on all sides. At the time Moses ascended to receive Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, handed him seventy keys of the Torah, NAMELY SEVEN SFIROT: CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD, AND MALCHUT, EACH POSSESSED ITS OWN TEN SFIROT, TOTALING SEVENTY. When he reached 59, MEANING YESOD WITHIN THE TEN SFIROT OF THE OVERALL YESOD, there was one hidden, concealed key, NAMELY MALCHUT WITHIN THE TEN SFIROT OF THE OVERALL YESOD, KNOWN AS THE DIADEM OF YESOD, that was not handed to him. It pleaded before him, saying, 'Moses, all the upper and lower keys are dependent upon this key.' Moses said, 'Master of the World, what is its name?' He replied, 'Eitan and all other Eitanim are dependent upon it.' Within it are maintained NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD, which are outside of the body of the written Torah, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, It, ZEIR ANPIN, informs it, MEANING, FLOWING WITH KNOWLEDGE, and instructs it. And it, THE DIADEM OF YESOD, is the principal and the key of the written Torah, ZEIR ANPIN.

305. When that key, THE DIADEM OF YESOD, opens the Oral Torah, MEANING WHEN IT IS AFFIXED TO ITS YESOD, it is necessary to understand it. This is the meaning of Tanya (lit. 'it has been taught in the Baraita') CONSISTING OF THE LETTERS IN EITAN, AND THEN APPLIES, "Strong (Heb. eitan) is your dwelling place" (Bemidbar 24:21), AS MALCHUT IS CALLED 'DWELLING PLACE.' WHEN IT RECEIVES FROM THE DIADEM OF YESOD, IT IS MENTIONED REGARDING IT, "STRONG IS YOUR DWELLING PLACE," CALLED 'BARAITA' MEANING SOMETHING outside of the body OF ZEIR ANPIN. BARAITA STEMS FROM THE WORD 'OUTSIDE,' WHICH IS EXTERNAL. Eitanim IN THE WRITTEN TORAH, ZEIR ANPIN, becomes the Tanaim OF THE ORAL TORAH, MALCHUT. These are supporting pillars outside of the body, MEANING NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD. Now it needs to be known that when these, NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, are called with regard to the written Torah, ZEIR ANPIN, Eitanim, then with regard to the Oral Torah they are called Tanaim, which is spelled with the same letters. Eitan is used with regard to the written Torah, Tanya with the Oral Torah, and everything is as it should be.