10. We have learned that it is written, "These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests" (Bemidbar 3:3) and also, "Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Elazar and Itamar" (Ibid. 2). HE QUESTIONS: It should read: 'And Elazar and Itamar' JUST LIKE IT SAYS "AND ABIHU," so why write "Elazar and Itamar?" WHY DELETE THE CONNECTING 'AND' (VAV) FROM ELAZAR? HE ANSWERS: Abihu was equal to his two brothers. The VERSE EQUATES ABIHU TO ELAZAR AND ITAMAR, and Nadab is equal to all the others.
10. דְּהָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, דִּכְתִּיב וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי אַהֲרֺן הַכֺּהֲנִים וְגוֹ.' וּכְתִיב, הַבְּכֺר נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא אֶלְעָזָר וְאִתָּמָר. וְאֶלְעָזָר וְאִתָּמָר מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַהוּ אֶלְעָזָר וְאִתָּמָר. אֶלָּא שָׁקוּל הֲוָה אֲבִיהוּא כִּתְרֵי אֲחוּי. וְנָדָב כְּכֻלְּהוּ.
11. The firstborn Nadab stands on his own merits and Abihu rests on his own, AND FOLLOWING THEM ELAZAR AND ITAMAR ARE READ AS JOINED TOGETHER TO TEACH that each one OF NADAB AND ABIHU are considered in the eyes OF SCRIPTURE as both Elazar and Itamar TOGETHER. But BOTH Nadab and Abihu by themselves are each considered equal to the seventy members of the Sanhedrin who served before Moses. For this reason, their deaths atoned for Yisrael. Therefore, it is written, "But let your brethren, the whole house of Yisrael bewail the burning" (Vayikra 10:6). Rabbi Shimon said: THEREFORE THE VERSE SPECIFIES "Nadab the firstborn," meaning he is the one that all acclaim and praise are his. How much more so with Nadab and Abihu TOGETHER, because these two have no equal among all Yisrael.
11. וְאִית דְּמַתְנֵי הַבְּכֺר נָדָב, דָּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וַאֲבִיהוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, וְכָל חַד אִתְחֲשִׁיב בְּעֵינֵיהּ, כְּתַרְוַיְיהוּ, כְּאֶלְעָזָר וְאִתָּמָר. אֲבָל נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ, שְׁקוּלִין הֲווֹ לְקָבֵל שַׁבְעִין סַנְהֶדְרִין, דַּהֲווֹ מְשַׁמְּשִׁין קָמֵי מֺשֶׁה. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, מִיתָתְהוֹן מְכַפְּרָא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, וַאֲחֵיכֶם כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל יִבְכּוּ אֶת הַשְּׂרֵפָה. וְאָמַר ר' שִׁמְעוֹן, הַבְּכֺר נָדָב, כְּלוֹמַר, הַהוּא, דְּכָל שְׁבָחָא וִיקָרָא דִּלֵּיהּ. נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה, דְּהָנֵי תְּרֵי, לָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ כְּוָתַיְיהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
230. We have learned that one day the friends were walking with Rabbi Shimon. Rabbi Shimon said, I see all nations are higher above and Yisrael are below all. Why? It is because the King has dismissed the Queen from Him, and invited a maid in her stead, as the verse says, "For three things the earth is disquieted...for a slave when he becomes king...and a handmaid that is heir to her mistress" (Mishlei 30:21-23). Who is this handmaid? She is the foreign kingdom OF THE OTHER SIDE, whose firstborn Hashem smote in Egypt, as it is written, "Even to the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill" (Shemot 11:5). At first, she used to sit behind the millstone, but now she is "a handmaid that is heir to her mistress." INSTEAD OF EXTENDING HER ABUNDANCE TO HOLY MALCHUT, THIS MAID OF THE OTHER SIDE TAKES ALL THE ABUNDANCE AND EXTENDS IT TO THE NATIONS THAT ARE FROM HER SIDE.
230. תָּאנָא, יוֹמָא חַד הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי חַבְרַיָּיא עִמֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אָמַר ר"ש, חֲמֵינָא אִלֵּין עַמִּין כֻּלְּהוּ עִלָּאֵי, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל תַּתָּאֵי מִכֻּלְּהוּ, מַאי טַעֲמָא. בְּגִין דְּמַלְכָּא אַשְׁדַר מַטְרוֹנִיתָא מִינֵּהּ, וְאָעִיל אַמָּהוּ בְּאַתְרָהָא. כד"א, תַּחַת שָׁלֺשׁ רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ וְגוֹ.' תַּחַת עֶבֶד כִּי יִמְלוֹךְ וְגוֹ.' וְשִׁפְחָה כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּהּ. מַאן שִׁפְחָה. הִיא כִּתְרָא נוּכְרָאָה, דְּקָטַל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בּוּכְרָא דִּלְהוֹן בְּמִצְרַיִם. דִּכְתִיב עַד בְּכוֹר הַשִּׁפְחָה אֲשֶׁר אַחַר הָרֵחָיִם. אַחַר הָרֵחָיִם הֲוַת יָתְבָא בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וְהַשְׁתָּא, הַאי שִׁפְחָה תִּירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּהּ.
232. About this, it is written, "Humble, and riding upon an donkey" (Ibid.), as he was poor at first "and riding upon an donkey." As we have established, it refers to the lower crowns of the idolatrous nations, the firstborn of which Hashem killed in Egypt, AS THEY ARE CONSIDERED "AN DONKEY." This is the meaning of, "And all the firstborn of cattle" (Shemot 11:5). We have established this matter so to speak with "just and victorious" MEANING that he is more VICTORIOUS than anyone. Until now, the Righteous, NAMELY YESOD, resided without righteousness, DENOTING MALCHUT. Now that THE RIGHTEOUS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS are joined, he is "just and victorious," because he NO LONGER dwells in the Other Side. We have learned that "the righteous perishes (lit. 'is lost'), and no man lays it to heart" (Yeshayah 57:1). This verse is complicated. IT READS "lost" when it should be written 'is lost.' So what is the meaning of "lost?" HE ANSWERS: He really lost. What did he lose? The Queen - and he joined another place called maid.
232. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב עָנִי וְרוֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר, עָנִי הֲוָה בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וְרוֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא, אִינּוּן כִּתְרִין תַּתָּאִין דְּעַמִּין עע"ז, דְּקָטִיל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בּוּכְרָא דִּלְהוֹן בְּמִצְרַיִם, הה"ד וְכָּל בְּכוֹר בְּהֵמָה, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלֵּי. כִּבְיָכוֹל צַדִיק וְנוֹשָׁע הוּא, הוּא וַדַּאי יַתִּיר מִכֺּלָּא. בְּגִין דְּעַד הַשְׁתָּא שָׁארִי צַדִּיק בְּלָא צֶדֶק. וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּיִזְדַּוְּוגוּן כַּחֲדָא, צַדִיק וְנוֹשָׁע הוּא, דְּהָא לָא יָתִיב בְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא. תָּאנָא, הַצַּדִיק אָבָד וְאֵין אִישׁ שָׂם עַל לֵב וְגוֹ,' הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא, הַצַּדִיק אָבָד, נֶאֱבַד מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַהוּ אָבָד. אֶלָּא אָבָד מַמָּשׁ, וּמַאי אָבָד. אָבַד לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וְאִתְדַּבָק בַּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא, דְּאִקְרֵי שִׁפְחָה.
284. Also here, "I will send you a kid from the flock." We established WHAT IS MEANT BY A KID IN, "You shall not boil a kid" (Shemot 34:26). IT REFERS TO THE OTHER SIDE THAT NURSES FROM MALCHUT BEFORE SHE IS PURIFIED, and all these stem from the firstborn of cattle. Therefore, it is not written: 'I will give,' but "I will send," MEANING I will expel and send it away so it shall not be in my palace.
284. כַּךְ נָמֵי הָכָא, אָנֺכִי אֲשַׁלַּח גְּדִי עִזִּים מִן הַצֺּאן. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, בְּלֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי. וְכָל אִינּוּן בְּסִטְרָא דִּבְכוֹר בְּהֵמָה קָא אָתוּ. וְעַל דָּא לָא כְּתִיב אָנֺכִי אֶתֵּן, אֶלָּא אָנֺכִי אֲשַׁלַּח, אַתָּרִיךְ וְאַשְׁדָּר לֵיהּ, דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח בְּהֵיכָלִי.
322. It is so with the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Congregation of Yisrael. As long as Yisrael obey the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, He installs His residence with the Congregation of Yisrael. When Yisrael disobey His will, the Holy One, blessed be He, no longer places His residence with the Congregation of Yisrael. Why? It is because Yisrael are firstborn of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, "Yisrael is My son, My firstborn" (Shemot 4:22). The Congregation of Yisrael is the mother of Yisrael, as it is written, "And do not forsake the Torah of your mother" (Mishlei 1:8).
322. כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וכ"י, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדִּין רְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׁוֵּי מָדוֹרֵיהּ בִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכָל זִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לָא עַבְדִין רְעוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא שַׁוֵּי מָדוֹרֵיהּ בכ"י. מ"ט. בְּגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא בְּרָא בּוּכְרָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב בְּנִי בְכוֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל. אִמָּא, דָּא הִיא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל דִּכְתִּיב וְאַל תִּטּוֹשׁ תּוֹרַת אִמֶּךָ.