46. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion saying, "Your ointments are fragrant..." (Shir Hashirim 1:3). I have closely studied this verse and this is the explanation: What is meant by "fragrant?" IT MEANS THAT the fragrance of the incense is subtle and finer, more interior than anything else. When this fragrance rises to join with the anointing oil of the fountain streams, WHICH ARE THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN, they wake one another and connect together. Then these ointments are good for illumination, as the verse says, "Your ointments are fragrant (lit. 'good for fragrance)."

100. Rabbi Aba opened the discussion with the verse, "While the king was reclining at his board, my nard sent forth its fragrance" (Shir Hashirim 1:12). This verse has been explained by the friends. When the Holy One, blessed be He, was ready and present on Mount Sinai to give Torah to Yisrael, "my nard sent forth its fragrance," as Yisrael emitted a wonderful fragrance that has shielded them for countless generations. This was what they said then, "All that Hashem has said will we do, and obey" (Shemot 24:7). Another explanation of, "While the King was reclining at his board:" While Moses went up to receive the Torah from the Holy One, blessed be He, which was engraved within the two tablets of stone, Yisrael deserted that wonderful fragrance that crowned them and said to the golden calf, "These are your Elohim, Yisrael" (Shemot 32:4).

102. We have learned that when the supernal King, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, with delicacies fit for kings sits crowned, it is written, "While the king was reclining at his board, my nard sent forth its fragrance." "MY NARD" refers to Yesod that emits blessings so that the holy King, ZEIR ANPIN, joins with the Queen, NAMELY MALCHUT. Then blessings are given to the worlds and those in the upper and lower worlds are blessed. Now the holy luminary is crowned by this level, MEANING THE MOCHIN OF ZEIR ANPIN FROM ABA AND IMA, ALSO KNOWN AS CROWNS. He and the friends lift up the praise from below upward, NAMELY FROM MAYIM NUKVIN (FEMALE WATERS), and MALCHUT crowns herself with these praises AS SHE JOINS WITH ZEIR ANPIN. Now there are blessings to pour from above downward to all friends of this MENTIONED level. Rabbi Elazar, his son, should now say some of the praiseworthy words he heard from his father.

105. "And watered the sheep" (Ibid.), MEANING they pour out blessings from this well to the higher and lower levels. Afterwards, they "put the stone back upon the well's mouth" (Ibid.), MEANING the Judgment returns to its position. It is because it is needed in order to bring fragrance and correction to the world. Now, the Holy One, blessed be He, has poured upon you blessings from the springs of the fountain stream and from you are blessed all the members of your generation. How fortunate is your share in this world and in the World to Come. About you, it is written, "And all your children shall be taught of Hashem; and great shall be the peace of your children" (Yeshayah 54:13).

116. We have learned that "And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats." "Aaron shall cast," WHY ONLY AARON? Because he stems from the aspect of Chesed, AND THUS IS ABLE TO PERFECT MALCHUT WITH CHASSADIM. "Upon the two goats:" BEHOLD "upon" is to be understood precisely, HINTING ABOUT MALCHUT WHICH IS ABOVE THE TWO GOATS, so as to give fragrance to the Matron, DENOTING MALCHUT. "One lot for Hashem, and the other lot for Azazel" (Vayikra 16:8). HE QUESTIONS: These two goats SYMBOLIZE JUDGMENTS, so why should one of them be for Hashem? HE ANSWERS: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Let one GOAT stay with Me and let the other wander around in the world, for if both joined together, the world would not be able to bear it.'

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).

200. Since joy prevails above, if the priest merits it here too, BELOW, at that time the goodwill of light is manifested and scented with the fragrance of mountains of the pure supernal balsam, which fragrance spreads throughout that place. It enters the two nostrils of the priest and his heart is satisfied. Then there is silence with no fault to be found. The priest opens his mouth in prayer willingly and with joy, and he utters his prayer.

205. Rabbi Yitzchak said: Yisrael said before the Holy One, blessed be He, so long as my soul is within me "have I desired You in the night." Wherefore "in the night?" It is because the Nefesh at that time needs to covet You. "With my spirit within me I seek You," MEANING when the Holy Spirit stirs within me, I seek You with excitement in order to do Your will. "For when Your sentences are on the earth," MEANS at the time when justice, MEANING ZEIR ANPIN, comes down to earth, MEANING to bring fragrance to the world, TO MALCHUT. Then "the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness" (Ibid.), which means that they are capable of tolerating the Judgments of righteousness and mankind should not perish as a result of it. When will "the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness?" "When Your sentences are on the earth." Rabbi Chizkiyah said, "With my soul (Nefesh) have I desired You in the night" refers to the Congregation of Yisrael, NAMELY MALCHUT, while "with my spirit (Ruach) within me I seek You" refers to the Holy One, blessed be He. MALCHUT IS THE SECRET OF NEFESH AND THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, IS THE SECRET OF RUACH.

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.

317. "The nakedness of your father, or the nakedness of your mother, shall you not uncover" (Vayikra 18:7). Rabbi Chiyah opened the discussion saying, "Like the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons..." (Shir Hashirim 2:3). This verse has been expounded by the friends. Yet, how beloved is the Congregation of Yisrael before the Holy One, blessed be He, that she lauds Him in this VERSE. We should look into this. Why does she laud Him through the apple and not with something else or with something THAT HAS color, or fragrance or taste.

318. HE ANSWERS: Since it is written "apple tree," IT TURNS OUT she is lauding him in every manner, with color, fragrance and with taste. Just as the apple is a cure-all also the Holy One, blessed be He, is a cure for all. Just as apple appears in colors - as we established, IT HAS WHITE, RED, GREEN - so does the Holy One, blessed be He, appear in supernal colors - NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET THAT ARE THE SECRET OF WHITE, RED AND GREEN. As the apple tree has a fine fragrance MORE than other trees, so about the Holy One, blessed be He, it is written, "And His fragrance like the Lebanon" (Hoshea 14:7). Just as the apple's taste is sweet, so also is the Holy One's, blessed be He, as it is written, "His mouth is most sweet" (Shir Hashirim 5:16).

319. And the Holy One, blessed be He, praises the Congregation of Yisrael like a rose, and we have already explained why HE PRAISED HER as a rose. Rabbi Yehuda said: When righteous men increase in the world, the Congregation of Yisrael, DENOTING MALCHUT, raises good fragrance BEING THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH THAT SHINES FROM BELOW UPWARD AS FRAGRANCE, and is blessed WITH CHASSADIM from the Holy King, and her face shines. But when the wicked increase in the world, it is as if the Congregation of Yisrael does not raise up the good fragrance, and tastes from the bitter FEEDING of the Other Side. Then it is written, "And cast down from heaven (to) earth..." (Eichah 2:1), MEANING THE COUPLING OF ZEIR ANPIN CALLED HEAVEN AND MALCHUT CALLED EARTH HAS BEEN DISBANDED, and her face is dark.

406. Rabbi Shimon said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Bring atonement before Me on the New Moon,' BECAUSE I HAVE REDUCED THE MOON, MALCHUT. "Before Me" surely MEANS ON MY BEHALF, in order to remove the serpent FROM NURSING FROM MALCHUT, and to perfume the one who needs to, NAMELY MALCHUT. "Before (lit. 'upon') Me" TO BE EXPLAINED, as "Serafim stood above him" (Yeshayah 6:2), WHICH DOES NOT MEAN OVER HIM, HEAVEN FORBID, BUT FOR HIS SAKE AND FOR HIS GLORY. HERE TOO, "UPON ME" IS TO BE EXPLAINED AS 'FOR MY SAKE.' Therefore, it is written regarding Korah, "Who are gathered together are against (lit. 'upon') Hashem" (Bemidbar 16:11), WHICH ALSO MEANS "FOR HASHEM," MEANING for them, BECAUSE OF THE SIN OF KORAH AND HIS CONGREGATION, someone was awakened from their side, MEANING THE OTHER SIDE, TO BLEMISH HASHEM. Also here, "Bring before Me your atonement" upon Me literally, MEANING FOR MY SAKE AND FOR ME, in order that MALCHUT will have fragrance and the serpent will pass from her and not be found where it dwelt, MEANING IN A PLACE OF LACK DUE TO THE DIMINISHED MOON. What is all this for? Because I reduced the moon, NAMELY MALCHUT, and he who should not has sway over her. Hence, "also you shall not approach to a woman in the impurity of her menstrual flow" (Vayikra 18:19), AS IN THE ADJACENT PARAGRAPH.

409. It is the same with the renewal of the moon, MEANING AT THE NEW MOON. The sun, DENOTING ZEIR ANPIN, shines on it with the joy of the light of Atika above. For this reason, the sacrifice of the New Moon is above in order to bring fragrance to all, and joy should be prevalent in the world. Therefore, 'bring atonement before Me.' This wording is literal IN ORDER TO AWAKEN THE UNION.